LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Procurement Projects

John Hayes: To ask the Leader of the House what the 20 largest procurement projects initiated by the Privy Council Office since May 1997 were; what the  (a) original budget,  (b) cost to date and  (c) consultancy fees were; and what the final cost was of each project which has been completed.

Jack Straw: The information requested is set out in the following table, for the whole period from May 1997 to date. Details of the original budgets associated with these procurements are not held centrally and are only available at disproportionate cost. No consultancy fees were incurred in connection with these procurement projects.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Project  Cost to date  Final costs 
			 Refurbishment of Ministerial Suite 82,424 82,424 
			 Set-up costs for Leader of the House of Commons Website 44,828 44,828 
			 Increased Security measures for 2 Carlton Gardens 37,879 37,879 
			 New Payroll Contract implementation 37,042 37,042 
			 Setting up costs for Privy Council Office Website 35,485 35,485 
			 Staff Survey, conference and workshops 31,042 31,042 
			 Judicial Committee Data Base 25,991 25,991 
			 Departmental Diversity Awareness Training and workshops 19,574 19,574 
			 Judicial Committee Sound System for Courtroom 18,869 18,869 
			 Leader of the House of Commons' Correspondence Data base 18,844 18,844 
			 Lords Chief Whip's Video Conferencing facility. 18,212 18,212 
			 Provision of bathroom for Lady Judges at Judicial Committee 17,170 17,170 
			 Judges Retiring Room furniture 15,267 15,267 
			 Screens for Judicial Committee Court Room 12,577 12,577 
			 Security Cupboards 85 Cabinets for Judicial Committee 8,769 8,769 
			 Carpeting for library etc JC 8,078 8,078 
			 Leader of the House of Commons T.V screens & Video Equipment 7,451 7,451 
			 Bathroom Refurbishment 2 Carlton Gardens 7,401 7,401 
			 Carpeting for third floor 2 Carlton Gardens 7,263 7,263 
			 Electrical upgrades for posts and sockets, 2 Carlton Gardens. 7,199 7,199 
		
	
	All questions to the Leader of the House can be found on:
	www.commonsleader.gov.uk

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Crown Prosecution Service

Philip Davies: To ask the Solicitor-General what his most recent estimate is of the average preparation time by a Crown Prosecution Service lawyer for cases in magistrates' courts; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The estimations made by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) of the average preparation time by a prosecutor for a case in the magistrates' courts vary depending upon the type and outcome of the case.
	The following estimates are for the most common types of cases:
	
		
			   Average minutes 
			 Summary Guilty plea outcome 21 
			 Either way Guilty plea outcome 69 
			 Summary Trial 205 
			 Either way Trial 233

Crown Prosecution Service

Philip Davies: To ask the Solicitor-General what estimate he has made of the number of cases where the Crown Prosecution Service have not had the relevant file with them at court in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains no central record of occasions on which a case file is not available at court. The information is held on individual files and could only be obtained by locating and examining relevant files in each CPS office, which would incur disproportionate costs (Code of Practice on Government Information, part 2, clause 9).
	It is however the case that defendants often appear before the court after having been arrested late at night or in the morning and files will need to be put together at very short notice by CPS staff and the police, therefore the file may sometimes arrive after the day court proceedings begun.

False Rape Claims

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Solicitor-General what guidance he has provided to the Crown Prosecution Service on the prosecution of the perpetrators of false rape claims.

Mike O'Brien: I have not provided specific guidance to the CPS on this issue, and neither has the Attorney-General.
	As the Crown Prosecution Service is now responsible for advising the police on cases for possible prosecution and deciding whether to charge in all but the most minor of cases, cases involving false rape allegations will be referred to prosecutors for a charging decision. Potential charges are wasting police time and perverting the course of justice.
	All cases must be reviewed in accordance with the code for Crown Prosecutors. Application of the code means that a case is prosecuted when there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and that the prosecution is in the public interest.
	Specific guidance on public justice offences is published jointly by the CPS and the Association of Chief Police Officers. The guidance provides that it is likely that a charge of perverting the course of justice will be appropriate when the making of a false allegation wrongfully exposes another person to the risk of arrest, imprisonment pending trial, and possible wrongful conviction and sentence.

Plea Bargaining

David Drew: To ask the Solicitor-General if he will implement a pilot scheme to assess the merits of more formal plea bargaining.

Mike O'Brien: The report of the Fraud Review that was published in July 2006 included a recommendation that there should be a formal system of plea bargaining in fraud cases. The report has been the subject of consultation, the results of which will be taken into account when the Government respond to all of the recommendations early in the new year.

TRANSPORT

Bus Services

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects free local bus travel to be available to all pensioners.

Gillian Merron: From April this year, older and disabled people have been guaranteed free off-peak local bus travel within their local authority area. From April 2008, this will be extended further allowing free off-peak local bus travel anywhere in England.
	Free concessionary bus travel schemes already exist in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The Concessionary Bus Travel Bill introduced on 27 November includes a power to allow via regulations in the future for mutual recognition of concessionary bus passes across the UK.

Departmental Budget

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of his Department's budget was allocated to railway transportation in each of the last five years.

Tom Harris: The proportions of departmental budget allocated to railway transportation in each of the last five years, in terms of near cash in the departmental expenditure limit (DEL) are as follows:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 2001-02 25 
			 2002-03 32 
			 2003-04 36 
			 2004-05 38 
			 2005-06 39

Departmental Staff

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many value for money exercises on the use of  (a) management consultants and  (b) professional advisers were conducted by his Department in each of the last five years for which information is available; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The Department completes the annual Office of Government Commerce (OGC) value for money return, and has done so since the Department was created in May 2002. This uses methodologies published by OGC to measure value for money gains across the whole procurement function. Information about specific value for money exercises for individual projects is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department follows Government procurement policy and OGC-published guidance on best practice in procurement of goods and services. Procurement will mostly be by competitive tender with the contract being awarded to the supplier offering best overall value for money. In the case of consultancy and professional advisers the Department also makes use of pre-completed framework agreements negotiated centrally by OGC Buying Solutions on behalf of central Government.
	The internal audit programme regularly includes audits that check compliance with procurement policies and procedures.

Driving Instruction: Curriculum

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what work his Department undertakes with the Department for Education and Skills to ensure that further education establishments teach road safety and driver education to young people; what plans he has to increase such work; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: No such work is undertaken because there is no national curriculum for the post-compulsory education sector. Further education institutions develop a curriculum reflecting the needs of the community they serve. The Department's Driving Standards Agency delivered over 4,700 arrive alive presentations in 2005-06 in schools, colleges, young offenders institutions and other organisations. Arrive alive provides information and road safety education to 16 to 19-year-old pre-drivers.
	Reducing accidents involving young drivers is a key consideration in the second review of the road safety strategy currently being undertaken by the Department.

Driving Offences

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with his counterparts in EU member states on exchanging information on  (a) non-UK driving licence holders who have received driving endorsements whilst driving in the UK and  (b) UK driving licence holders who commit offences whilst abroad.

Stephen Ladyman: There have been no recent EU wide ministerial discussions on these issues. However, I and the Irish Minister of Transport have continuing bilateral discussions on initiating such cooperation on driving disqualifications and lesser motoring infringements.

Driving Offences

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many non-UK driving licence holders received driving endorsements in the UK in each of the last five years.

Stephen Ladyman: This information is only available at disproportionate cost.

Driving Tests

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the  (a) cost of providing and  (b) price of sitting a driving theory test was in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The increases in cost and price of the Driving theory test are shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Financial year  Cost of test delivery (£) 
			 2001-02 13.95 
			 2002-03 14.75 
			 2003-04 18.94 
			 2004-05 19.53 
			 2005-06 19.53 
		
	
	
		
			  Period  Fees charged by DSA (£) 
			 April 2001 to October 2002 15.50 
			 November 2002 to August 2003 18.00 
			 September 2003 to July 2005 20.50 
			 August 2005 to March 2006 21.00 
			 March 2006 onwards 21.50

Driving Tests

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will require further testing of first aid skills as part of the hazard perception section of the driving theory test.

Stephen Ladyman: The moving image hazard perception test (HPT) is not a suitable method of delivering a test of first aid knowledge.
	The Driving Standards Agency is assessing the feasibility of expanding the multiple choice section of the Theory Test, to include additional questions on first aid.

Fares: Technology

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress his Department is making towards the introduction of smart card technology outside London.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department is supporting a number of schemes that are implementing the ITSO national standard for interoperable transport smart cards.
	The 'NoWcard' scheme is live in Blackpool and full roll out across the remainder of Lancashire and Cumbria is expected over the next year.
	Cheshire county council is migrating from its existing smartcard scheme to the ITSO standard with an initial rollout by the end of 2006 further stages following incrementally across their scheme. Nottinghamshire and Southampton are expected to complete their migration from existing schemes by April 2008.
	The 'Yorcard' pilot, based on a number of bus and rail routes in South Yorkshire, is expected to go live with an ITSO scheme towards the end of 2007.
	The use of ITSO has also been included in the new South Western rail franchise to be implemented by 2009.
	Scotland and Wales are also using ITSO-based smartcards for their national bus concession scheme for older and disabled persons. Over 1 million cards have been issued and their entire bus fleets are being equipped with the necessary card readers over the coming months. The bus fleet on the Shetland Islands introduced the ITSO standard during November.
	The Department is looking at the potential for using smartcards as part of the national concessionary fares scheme to be launched April 2008.

Fishing Industry

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many UK fishermen have died while on fishing vessels since December 2005.

Stephen Ladyman: The accidental deaths of 13 UK fishermen while aboard registered fishing vessels from 1 December 2005 to 30 November 2006 have been reported to the Marine Accident Investigation Branch.

Fishing Industry

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many UK fishing vessels have been lost since December 2005.

Stephen Ladyman: In the period from 1 December 2005 to 30 November 2006 the accidental losses of 14 UK registered fishing vessels have been reported to the Marine Accident Investigation Branch.

M6

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ensure that his forthcoming economic assessment of the costs and benefits of the proposed widening of the M6 motorway between junctions 11A and 19 will take into account the economics of  (a) stabilisation,  (b) mitigation and  (c) adaptation in respect of climate change in accordance with the findings of the Stern Review.

Stephen Ladyman: The appraisal of the M6 (11a to 19) widening is being undertaken in accordance with DfT's standard Transport Analysis Guidance (see www.webtag.org.uk) and therefore will include a monetary estimate of the social cost of carbon resulting from forecast change in carbon emissions over a 60-year period. This monetary estimate of the social cost of carbon will be taken into account in the economic assessment of the scheme in line with the findings of the Stern Review.

Minibuses: Accidents

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) fatalities and  (b) serious injuries were caused by accidents involving a minibus driven by a volunteer in each year from 1995 to 2005.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested is not available.

Railways

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions  (a) he and  (b) his officials have had with (i) the Mayor of London and (ii) Transport for London on (A) the relationship between the new London Rail Concession (LRC) and other national rail services in London and (B) the possible impact of the policy on open access on the LRC.

Tom Harris: Officials from the Department for Transport (DfT) have had discussions with Transport for London (TfL) regarding the LRC over the last two years. These discussions have covered a number of issues including the arrangements for transferring the franchising of these services from DfT to TfL.
	Services operated by the LRC will continue to be part of the national rail network and will, therefore, have the same relationship with other national rail services (such as ticket-purchasing ability and through fares) through the requirements of the passenger licence—although given planned extensions some changes will occur at specific locations.
	The relationship between these services and open access operators is a matter for the ORR.

Railways

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions the Strategic Rail Authority has had with bidders for the  (a) Integrated Kent franchise and  (b) South Western franchise on the impact of the policy of open access on (i) operation of the franchise and (ii) potential (A) subsidy from and (B) revenue to the Government over the course of the franchise.

Tom Harris: To date, the only open access operators in the areas served by the Integrated Kent franchise and the South Western franchise have been the operators of occasional special trains, and freight operators. Accordingly, open access was not specifically raised with bidders during the preparation of their bids for these two franchises.

Railways

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the Office of Rail Regulation's policy on track access rights and open access on the franchise round for East Midlands, West Midlands and Cross Country services.

Tom Harris: The Office of Rail Regulation is currently engaged in a consultation exercise with potential open access operators, and with Network Rail, to establish whether the aspirations of those operators can be accommodated on the network alongside the services to be operated by the three new franchises.
	At present, it is anticipated that the new franchisees will be able to obtain track access rights sufficient to enable them to fulfil the Service Level Commitments described in the Invitations to Tender.
	ORR will grant rights to open access operators where the new services are primarily intended to create new journey opportunities rather than to abstract revenue from franchised operators.

Railways

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) consulted  (a) freight and passenger operators and  (b) current or potential holders of track access rights on access to the route covered by the London Rail Concession being tendered by Transport for London (TfL); and what discussions his Department had with TfL and ORR on this issue.

Tom Harris: ORR is currently consulting freight and passenger operators and others it considers might be directly affected by the track access option application recently submitted by TfL and Network Rail in relation to access rights for the new East London Line.
	No application has yet been received for additional access rights for that part of TfL's concession that will take over the Silverlink Metro services. ORR will consult in accordance with its published policies on any such application that it receives.
	The Department has not held any meetings with either TfL or ORR specifically on the issue of track access rights in relation to the London Rail Concession.

Railways

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many railway stations  (a) obtained secure station status,  (b) had secure status withdrawn and  (c) did not seek secure station status re-accreditation in the latest period for which figures are available.

Tom Harris: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given today to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Carmichael), UIN 102449.

Railways

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many railway stations  (a) have obtained secure station status,  (b) had secure status withdrawn and  (c) did not seek secure station re-accreditation in the latest period for which figures are available.

Tom Harris: Since the launch of the Secure Stations Scheme in 1998 a total of 434 rail stations, including 78 London underground stations, have been accredited under the scheme. Of these a total of 42 rail stations, including 19 London underground stations, have lapsed and have not, so far, sought re-accreditation. No stations have had their secure status withdrawn since the scheme's launch.
	A list of accredited stations has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Railways

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funds were  (a) allocated and  (b) spent by National Rail on enhancing the general cleanliness, facilities and services of small and medium-sized railway stations in each of the last four years; how many such projects Network Rail undertook in that period; and what representations he has made to Network Rail on this issue.

Tom Harris: These are operational matters for Network Rail, the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member is advised to contact Network Rail's Chief Executive at the following address for a response to his questions:
	John Armitt
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	40 Melton Street
	London
	NW1 2EE

Railways

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Telford of 21 November 2006,  Official Report, column 35W, on railways, what plans his Department has to increase the volume of rail freight, with particular reference to moving freight from the road network.

Tom Harris: I refer my hon. Friend to the written statement the then Secretary of State for Transport made to the House on 19 July 2005,  Official Report, columns 71-73WS setting out the Government's policy towards rail freight.

Railways

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of light railway are projected for completion in the next five years; and how many projects are involved.

Tom Harris: In the next five years, the following light rail projects are due for completion, subject to satisfying funding approvals:
	Extension of the docklands light railway to Woolwich Arsenal—2.5 kms due to complete in 2009
	Extension of the docklands light railway to Stratford International—6 kms due to complete in 2010
	Extension of the Manchester Metro link to Chorlton and Droylsden—9 kms due to complete in 2011
	A further extension of the Manchester Metro link to Rochdale—providing an additional 22.5 kms of light rail, is being taken forward with the Chorlton and Droylsden extensions and is due to complete in 2012.

Railways

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent passenger counts First Great Western have undertaken to south Wales services; and with what results.

Tom Harris: First Great Western has undertaken recent passenger counts for its own management purposes. This information is held by FGW. At the request of the Department for Transport, FGW carried out counts in July of the numbers of passengers on the FGW 1718 Swansea services on departure from Cardiff Central. These showed an average load of 179 passengers on this service.

Roads

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to promote the use of vehicle-activated signs in place of speed cameras  (a) as temporary measures at road works and  (b) as permanent measures elsewhere.

Stephen Ladyman: Traffic Authorities have a wide range of measures at their disposal to achieve appropriate vehicle speeds and they are best placed to decide the most suitable approach at a particular location. Vehicle activated signs and safety cameras are used to tackle different speeding problems. Vehicle activated signs are generally used to tackle inappropriate speed and have proven particularly effective when used to warn drivers of approaching hazards on rural roads. Safety cameras are effective in tackling excessive speed (i.e. over the posted speed limit).

Roads

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents have been caused by drivers between the ages of 17 and 21 years since November 2002; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: There were 127,562 personal injury road accidents reported to the police involving drivers aged between 17 and 21 years between November 2002 and December 2005.
	Information on which participant caused an accident is not available.

Roads

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the outcome was of the 1998 two-year testing period of low noise, crumb rubber aggregate asphalt by the Highways Agency and the Road Transport Laboratory.

Stephen Ladyman: A section of proprietary low-noise surfacing asphalt incorporating approximately 5 per cent. reprocessed waste tyres was laid on a county road by Surrey county council in 1998. However, it failed prematurely and had to be replaced. A further trial, just under one mile long, was subsequently laid on the A244 Hersham bypass in June 1999, also by Surrey county council. For two years its performance was monitored as part of the Highways Agency's research programme. Following its satisfactory performance, a more heavily trafficked trial site on a short length of the A34 trunk road was offered by the Highways Agency, but the company that supplied the surfacing decided not to proceed.

Speed Limits: EC Countries

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will assess the practicability of a common maximum speed limit in EU member states.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department focuses its attention on making sure maximum speed limits remain appropriate for UK roads, and has no plans to assess the practicability of a common maximum speed limit in EU member states.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Digital Broadcasting: Norfolk

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number of people in Norfolk have switched from analogue television to digital television; what proportion that is of the total number of licence holders in the country; and if she will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: We do not have specific figures for Norfolk. However, Ofcom estimate that digital take-up of at least one television set is around 66 per cent. in the east of England. (Ofcom report: The Communications Market, Nations and Regions 2006). Nationwide, the figure is 70.2 per cent. (Ofcom report: Communications Market: Digital Progress Report Digital TV, Q2 2006).
	We continue to work with Digital UK to ensure the public have the information they need to switch to digital television in good time.

Film

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many responses her Department received to the consultation on the new guidance on the Cultural Test for Films.

Shaun Woodward: The Department carried out a full 12-week consultation on the existing cultural test in 2005, and developed and published the underlying guidance in response to views expressed in that exercise.
	The new test and underlying guidance, which retain many of the features of the previous versions, were developed in consultation with HM Treasury, HM Revenue and Customs and the UK Film Council and following discussions with the European Commission. Responses from the original consultation were borne in mind throughout this process.

Olympic Games London

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether her Department sought to publicise the extension to the deadline for the consultation on the Tourism Strategy for the 2012 games to all interested stakeholders; and if she will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: There was no publicised extension to the consultation deadline. We maintained an open dialogue with stakeholders throughout the process and gave individuals and organisations, who requested a limited extension, time to submit a quality response.

Piers

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her strategy is for the long-term sustainability of seaside piers; and if she will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: This Department does not have a strategy for the sustainability of seaside piers. However, the English Heritage Seaside Research Project is examining the broad historical contribution of the pier to England's seaside. Its findings will be published in a monograph, which is due to be published in September/October 2007. The research gathered in the course of the project will be used to develop policy for English Heritage, which might include specific initiatives on the conservation and future of piers.

Sports Pay

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people are employed as county sport partnership directors; and what the  (a) minimum,  (b) median and  (c) maximum salary is of those employed.

Richard Caborn: There are 49 directors of the County Sports Partnerships.
	Salaries range from 35,000 to 50,000. The median salary is 43,000. This variation is due to differences in partnership size.

SCOTLAND

Gender Equality

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to carry out gender impact assessments of his Department's major policy developments and new legislation.

David Cairns: I have no immediate plans to carry out a gender impact assessment as the statutory functions of the Scotland office relate to constitutional matters arising from the devolution settlement and the conduct of elections to the Scottish Parliament.

Special Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many of his Department's civil servants work full-time to support departmental special advisers; and what the salary is of each such civil servant.

David Cairns: None.

WALES

Departmental Statistics

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on statistics relating to the work of his Department in each of the last five years.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office spent 235 on statistics in 2005-6. Figures for earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Furniture

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was spent by his Office on furniture made by British firms in each year since 2000.

Peter Hain: Since 1999 my office has generally obtained furniture through procurement contracts administered by the National Assembly of Wales and the Department for Constitutional Affairs. For this, the information requested could not be obtained without disproportionate cost. We procured some furniture directly this year, at a cost of 690, all of it manufactured in the UK.

Gender Equality

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to carry out gender impact assessments of his Department's major policy developments and new legislation.

Peter Hain: My Department will conform to the requirement to carry out gender impact assessments as part of our processes for dealing with major policy developments and legislation.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Bovine Tuberculosis: Shropshire

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to help reduce bovine tuberculosis in Shropshire.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 November 2006,  Official Report, column 678W.

Canine Shock Collars

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) funded into the (i) safety and (ii) ethics of electric shock collars for dogs.

Ben Bradshaw: DEFRA has not yet commissioned or funded any research into electric shock collars for dogs, though we are currently considering this.
	A limited tender call asking for proposals to assess the effect of electronic pet training aids (specifically static pulse, anti-bark, and inert gas training systems) on the welfare of dogs was circulated in July.
	A single proposal was received, which is now undergoing internal and external assessment before a decision is taken on whether to commission this research. If any research is commissioned we would expect work to start in April 2007.
	The terms of the call were for studies focusing on an epidemiological approach into the behavioural, physiological and psychological effects of electric training collars on the welfare of dogs. Safety is implicit in this.
	DEFRA has also asked the Companion Animal Welfare Council to undertake an independent study of available evidence on the use of these electronic training aids, to help inform policy and complement any research that the Department may commission. The overall aim is to develop a sound evidence-base to formulate policy on whether or not to regulate such devices. Ethical issues are an integral part of animal welfare policy considerations.
	I also refer my hon. Friend to the answer given in the other place on 8 November 2006,  Official Report, column WA161.

Contaminated Land

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  who will be responsible for the treatment of contaminated areas in the event that no specific polluter can be identified;
	(2)  what enforcement measures may be taken against polluters of contaminated land.

Ben Bradshaw: Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act (1990) places a duty on local authorities (LAs) in England to identify contaminated land in their area, and to ensure that the appropriate remedial action is taken. Where land has been identified as contaminated, the LA will try to find the person who caused, or knowingly permitted, the presence of the substances causing the problem. If found, they will be required to carry out any necessary remedial works. Where the person responsible cannot be found, for example because a company is no longer in existence, the landowner may be the appropriate person, subject to detailed rules in the Act and the statutory guidance. The guidance (DEFRA Circular 01/2006) is available on the DEFRA website at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/land/contaminated/pdf/circular01-2006.pdf
	The regime allows for voluntary remediation, and also for the relevant LA to carry out remediation on behalf of those considered liable and to recover the cost. As a last resort, the LA can serve a remediation notice requiring work to be done, subject to a right of appeal. Failure to comply with a remediation notice is a criminal offence.

Environment Agency

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many businesses have registered for the Environment Agency's NetRegs email alert service; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The NetRegs website (www.netregs.gov.uk) provides environmental guidance for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) throughout the UK. The NetRegs e-alerts service informs registered users of the latest important updates to the NetRegs website. The service was launched in February 2006 and, to date, 4,334 users have registered. Five bi-monthly e-alerts have been produced so far.
	The NetRegs website itself attracts over 30,000 different users every month. It provides guidance for 105 different business sectors and has received excellent feedback from businesses, trade associations and business support organisations.
	NetRegs has conducted extensive user research and website testing. This is enabling improvements that will strengthen the website's usefulness for SMEs.

Farm Inspections

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will provide more on-farm inspections to oversee the breeding and husbandry of animals.

Ben Bradshaw: The State Veterinary Service (SVS) carries out inspections on farms to check that welfare legislation and codes are being followed. In addition to spot checks and planned visits, the SVS follows up all complaints and allegations of poor welfare on specific farms as a matter of urgency. In 2005, the SVS carried out 6,123 on-farm welfare inspections. This compares with 5,431 welfare inspections carried out in 2004.
	From 1 January 2007, cross-compliance inspections will include checks on the welfare of farmed animals. Most farms will be selected on a risk basis, ensuring that those with a higher risk of not meeting legislative standards are more likely to be selected for inspection. This is in line with DEFRA's Better Regulation policy, to reduce burdens on the majority of farmers who do comply with the law.

Fisheries

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many British sea fishermen there were in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: The following table gives the total number of fishermen in the UK for each year since 1997.
	
		
			   Number of fishermen 
			 1997 18,604 
			 1998 17,889 
			 1999 16,896 
			 2000 15,649 
			 2001 14,958 
			 2002 14,205 
			 2003 13,122 
			 2004 13,453 
			 2005 12,647 
		
	
	Detailed data on the number of fishermen operating in each year since 1997 are published in UK Sea Fisheries Statistics 2005 which is available on the Marine Fisheries Agency (MFA) website at:
	http://www.mfa.gov.uk/statistics/documents/UKSeaFish05-TAB2-7.xls.

Fisheries

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total EU subsidy for each national fishing fleet was in each year since 1985.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not hold all the information requested. However, some of the information is available within the report Financial Support OECD Fisheries: Implications for Sustainable Development which has been placed in the Library of the House.

Fisheries

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many British sea fishing vessels  (a) under and  (b) over 10 metres in length were in use in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: On 1 September 2006, there were 5,977 fishing vessels registered and licensed in the United Kingdom (excluding Islands). Of these, 1,458 were over 10 metres in length and 4,519 were 10 metres or under in length. The data for the years 1997 to 2005 are in the following table.
	
		
			   Number under 10 metres  Number over 10 metres 
			 1997 5,474 2,338 
			 1998 5,487 2,152 
			 1999 5,409 2,039 
			 2000 5,273 1,969 
			 2001 5,227 1,942 
			 2002 5,287 1,746 
			 2003 5,113 1,622 
			 2004 5,092 1,549 
			 2005 4,833 1,508

Fisheries

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the  (a) total allowable catches and  (b) levels of discards were within British territorial waters for each fish species in 2005-06.

Ben Bradshaw: Total allowable catches (TACs) are set internationally for a wide range of fish species around the British Isles. The TAC areas vary by species. However, the following table gives figures for TACs in 2005 and 2006 for a selection of those stocks for which the level of discards are recorded internationally, together with the UK shares of the TACs.
	
		
			   2005  2006 
			   TAC  UK  TAC  UK 
			  Cod 
			 North Sea 27,300 10,631 23,205 9,037 
			 West of Scotland and Rockall 721 433 613 368 
			 Irish Sea 2,150 619 1,828 527 
			 Channel and Western approaches 6,200 493 5,580 439 
			  
			  Haddock 
			 North Sea 66,000 39,832 51,850 34,574 
			 West of Scotland 7,600 6,127 7,810 6,294 
			 Rockall 702 566 597 481 
			 Irish Sea, Channel and Western approaches 11,520 1,152 11,520 1,152 
			  
			  Whiting 
			 North Sea 28,000 10,444 23,800 9,162 
			 West of Scotland and Rockall 1,600 917 1,360 780 
			 Irish Sea 514 199 437 169 
			 Channel and Western approaches 21,600 2,318 19,940 2,140 
		
	
	UK fisheries laboratories send observers to sea to record the quantity of fish discarded and retained by fishing vessels. Systematic data for a representative sample of the UK fleet is only available for some fisheries.
	The following tables show estimates for the proportion of catch discarded for cod, haddock and whiting by the UK fleet in the North Sea during 2005. Corresponding figures for 2006 are not yet available as the fishing season has yet to be completed.
	
		
			  England2005 
			  Species  Percentage of catch discarded by weight 
			 Cod 11 
			 Haddock 6 
			 Whiting 25 
		
	
	
		
			  Scotland2005 
			  Species  Percentage of catch discarded by weight 
			 Cod 15 
			 Haddock 15 
			 Whiting 49

Fisheries

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the  (a) number,  (b) total tonnage and  (c) total allowable catch of vessels in each national fishing fleet in the EU in each year since 1985.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on the number, total tonnage and total allowable catch of each national fishing fleet in the EU between 1994 and 2005 can be obtained from chapter 6 of the annual publication, UK Sea Fisheries Statistics, available in the Library of the House or online at:
	http://www.mfa.gov.uk/statistics/ukseafish.htm.
	Information prior to 1994 is not readily available and could only be produced at a disproportionate cost.

Fisheries

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of fish stocks of the main North Sea species in each year since 1985.

Ben Bradshaw: Fish stocks in EU waters are assessed by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). Scientists from the UK's fisheries laboratories contribute to the undertaking of these assessments which provide estimates of the total weight of mature adult fish, that is, the spawning stock biomass (SSB). This is used as a measure of the overall abundance of a stock.
	Estimates are available for cod, haddock, saithe, plaice and sole in the North Sea. The most recent estimates of SSB for these stocks are given in the following table:
	
		
			  SSB 
			  Thousand tonnes 
			   Cod  Haddock  Saithe  Plaice  Sole 
			 1985 118 239 160 344 41 
			 1986 109 223 150 368 34 
			 1987 102 151 150 446 30 
			 1988 93 152 145 392 39 
			 1989 87 122 111 415 34 
			 1990 76 76 97 379 89 
			 1991 72 59 93 341 77 
			 1992 72 97 95 273 77 
			 1993 75 130 103 239 55 
			 1994 71 152 112 208 74 
			 1995 91 148 135 186 59 
			 1996 98 179 155 180 38 
			 1997 85 193 197 186 28 
			 1998 72 165 197 206 21 
			 1999 69 118 207 155 42 
			 2000 46 94 195 229 39 
			 2001 36 235 216 277 30 
			 2002 43 363 207 243 31 
			 2003 40 356 241 246 26 
			 2004 37 298 281 183 40 
			 2005 36 256 288 193 38 
			 2006 32 231 290 194 30

Flatworms

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what steps are being taken to combat the bile fluke Pseudamphistomum truncatum; what information he has received from the veterinary community regarding the fluke; how many dead otters have been recorded as having the fluke; which species of fish are being examined to see if they are carriers of the fluke; which regions of the Environment Agency have recorded cases of the fluke; how many mink have been examined to see if they have the fluke; and what funding has been allocated for such autopsies;
	(2)  what steps he has taken to monitor the spread of the fluke Pseudamphistomum truncatum; and what funding has been allocated to this process.

Ben Bradshaw: Otter post mortems are performed as part of an otter health monitoring programme, undertaken by the Environment Agency, in order to monitor the spread of the fluke. This project examines all aspects of otter health, including environmental contaminants. This information is used to direct the conservation measures needed to safeguard the animals in England and Wales. The post-mortem examinations are funded as a component of otter health surveillance work undertaken by the Environment Agency. In addition carcases can be submitted to the Disease of Wildlife Surveillance project undertaken by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency.
	The Environment Agency also examines the health of fish prior to their movement in England and Wales. Approximately 400 such samples are examined at Environment Agency laboratories each year. The fluke has not been recorded in any fish examined to date. This routine health screening will continue, however no special measures are proposed in relation to this particular fluke.
	Mink are examined through a number of programs including the national wildlife surveillance program operated by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency and also by the Central Science Laboratory as a component of mink control operations. The Environment Agency has looked at a small number of mink, and will continue to examine mink for the presence of the bile fluke as they are submitted as part of other monitoring programmes.
	In 2005-06, the Environment Agency spent 27,000 carrying out post mortems on otters. This is an ongoing monitoring programme and all otters submitted to the Environment Agency will be examined for the presence of the bile fluke.
	The contractor undertaking this work has published findings up to the year 2004 in veterinary and scientific journals, wildlife magazines, newspapers and has given presentations at several conferences. He submits annual reports to the Environment Agency.
	Since April 2005, 18 otters have been identified as being infected with the fluke from a total of 145 animals examined. The fluke has been found in the south west, primarily Somerset and Dorset and more recently in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. Since November 2005, 17 mink have been examined for the fluke with four cases confirmed as being infected.

Flatworms

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what inquiries are being made into the implications of the spread of the bile fluke Pseudamphistomum truncatum; what warnings he has issued to the veterinary profession about the possibility of infection from the fluke; and what information he has received from other European countries which have dealt with the spread of the fluke.

Ben Bradshaw: The Human Animal, Infections and Risk Surveillance (HAIRS) group which includes representatives from the Health Protection Agency, the Department of Health, DEFRA, the Veterinary Laboratories Agency and the devolved Administrations, conducted a risk assessment for the zoonotic potential of this parasite in July 2005. They concluded that the possibility of pathogenicity to humans cannot be excluded but human exposure has not yet been identified. The fluke may only be transmitted to humans through the consumption of raw infected fish from rivers. However, the species which harbour this parasite in endemic countries are unlikely to be consumed by humans. There is no record of Pseudamphistomum truncatum in any fish species in the UK despite regular parasite examination of wild fish populations.
	The veterinary pathologist who reported the disease in the UK, and is conducting the long-term health monitoring programs for otters, published a letter in the Veterinary Record in January 2006 which informed veterinarians of the potential risk to cats and dogs which feed on raw fish products.
	The fluke is widespread in Eastern Europe and Russia and has been reported in otters and foxes in Germany and France and in mink in Spain. Low numbers of human cases have been reported in Russia and these are associated with consumption of raw fish. Cases in cats and dogs have occurred in the aforementioned countries and in Italy. The pathogencity of the disease is not fully understood but the health of all species including humans only seems to be compromised following severe infections of a chronic nature.

Marine Climate Change Partnership

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps have been taken by the Marine Climate Change Partnership to highlight knowledge of climate change impacts on the United Kingdom's marine environment.

Ian Pearson: On 29 November, I launched the first annual report card of the Marine Climate Change Impact Partnership (MCCIP).
	This MCCIP report card is the first ever holistic assessment of the impacts of climate change in UK seas and shows us, at a glance, the latest scientific knowledge on climate impacts on different marine sectors. It also gives an indication of the level of confidence the scientists involved have in the findings. This is extremely useful for decision makers, policy advisors, researchers, scientists, environmentalists and the public.
	The eight page report is a summary of the complex science. All of the details can be found as briefing notes on the web version of the report . Copies are available on the MCCIP website at: www.mccip.org.uk and will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Nuclear Industry

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the limit on the liability incurred by a nuclear operator is in the case of accident; whether that limit is subject to  (a) negligence and  (b) other conditions; whether that limit is set under international law; whether that limit is under review by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
	A UK nuclear operator's liability for third-party property damage and personal injury caused by a nuclear accident is generally limited to 140 million. The limit is set in the Nuclear Installations Act 1965, as amended. The Act gives effect to the UK's international legal obligations under the Paris Convention on third-party nuclear liability and the Brussels Supplementary Convention. The Paris Convention sets a minimum liability limit for nuclear operators. In the event of a nuclear accident for which a UK operator was liable the UK operator would be obliged, as the law stands, to pay compensation very greatly in excess of the Convention minimum and significantly in excess of the OECD recommended minimum. The operator is strictly liable, which means that it would not be necessary for a person seeking compensation for property damage or personal injury to prove negligence. Other requirements and conditions apply under the Act and the Conventions. For example, the operators of licensed nuclear sites in the UK are required to maintain insurance or other financial security covering their liability. The Paris and Brussels Conventions have recently been amended, but the amendments are not in force. Amongst other things, these amendments will, generally speaking, increase the amount of compensation an operator must provide to at least 700 million per incident. In that context, therefore, the liability limit of UK operators is under review. Work to implement these changes into UK law is being taken forward together with other contracting parties to the Conventions.

Prawn Industry

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will take steps to support the UK prawn industry; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government support fishing-related industries in the UK in a variety of ways, including grant aid under the Processing and Marketing Grant Scheme, from which the prawn processing industry has benefited in recent years. There are no plans to introduce additional support measures targeted specifically at the prawn sector.

Rainfall

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what contingency plans the Government has for a sustained period of reduced rainfall.

Ian Pearson: The Environment Agency has a statutory duty to secure the proper use of water resources. The Agency has drought plans in place which set out how it will manage water resources during a drought and define the Agency's role and responsibilities. The plans aim to reconcile the competing interests of the environment, the need for public water supply and other water abstractions. They involve monitoring a range of environmental indicators that determine the action it will take to achieve this aim. Actions to manage drought include increased environmental monitoring, liaison with water companies, public awareness campaigns and determination of drought permits. More information can be found on the Agency's website.
	http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/epages/eapublications.storefront/EN/product/GEHO0606BKXP-E-E?lang=_e#
	All water companies also have drought plans to ensure the security of the public water supply in periods of drought. The Water Act 2003 has made the production of such plans a statutory requirement. The plans contain a series of steps, which cause the company to initiate a range of actions depending on the severity and extent of the drought. One of the actions may involve applying to my Department for drought orders to restrict non-essential use of water.

Recycling

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to set recycling targets for waste from  (a) small businesses and  (b) municipal buildings, including schools.

Ben Bradshaw: Waste Strategy 2000 set targets for the management of household and municipal waste. These included 2005, 2010 and 2015 targets for the recycling and composting of household waste (25 per cent., 30 per cent. and 33 per cent.) and for the recovery of municipal waste (40 per cent., 45 per cent. and 67 per cent.). The Waste Strategy Review consultation document, published in February 2006, proposed new targets for 2010, 2015 and 2020 for the recycling and composting of household waste (40 per cent., 45 per cent. and 50 per cent.) and municipal waste recovery (53 per cent., 67 per cent. and 75 per cent.). Waste from schools is classed as household waste.
	The consultation document also invited views on how the Government could help overcome barriers to small business recycling. Proposals were made that local authorities could be asked to do more on small business waste by collecting goods for recycling, meeting new government targets for the recycling of the waste they collect, or using charging structures to increase business waste recycling.
	The consultation is now closed and we are carefully considering the responses received. DEFRA published a summary of responses to the consultation on 2 August. We intend to publish the revised Waste Strategy for England in the new year.

Recycling

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance his Department has given to local authorities participating in a recycling scheme on the frequency of collection of garden waste refuse in winter.

Ben Bradshaw: The Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA) places a duty on all waste collection authorities to arrange for the collection of household waste, but it does not stipulate how often collections should occur.
	The Government believe local authorities are best placed to make decisions on the waste management strategy for their communities and DEFRA does not therefore intervene in these matters.
	The Waste and Resources Action Programme's (WRAP) ROTATE programme is a free service that provides advice to local authorities on their collection and communication programmes for kerbside recycling. Further information is available from the WRAP website at:
	http://www.wrap.org.uk/local_authorities/rotate/index.html.

Recycling

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of waste was recycled in each region in each of the last four years.

Ben Bradshaw: The percentage of household waste which was recycled or composted in each English region in each of the last four years, is provided in the table as follows.
	
		
			  Region  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 North East 6.6 12.2 15.4 21.1 
			 North West 11.3 14.2 19.2 23.8 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 11.2 14.5 18.6 21.8 
			 East Midlands 15.1 19.3 26.3 31.8 
			 West Midlands 13.0 15.7 19.9 25.1 
			 East 19.4 23.4 29.8 34.1 
			 London 10.9 13.3 17.6 20.7 
			 South East 19.6 22.8 26.1 29.2 
			 South West 18.6 21.4 26.6 31.4 
			 England 14.5 17.8 22.5 26.7 
			  Source:  DEFRA

Scarweather Sands Wind Farm

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the status is of the licence application under the Food and Environmental Protection Act 1985 for Scarweather Sands wind farm; whether there will be further negotiations and consultations before a decision is made; and when he expects a decision to be reached.

Ben Bradshaw: Scarweather Sands wind farm will require a licence from the Welsh Assembly Government under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985. DEFRA's Marine Consents and Environment Unit (MCEU) is administering the application on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government.
	Earlier this year, the developer met with the MCEU, the Countryside Council for Wales and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science. My officials are currently awaiting additional supporting data from the developer in regards to harbour porpoises. This is expected early in the new year.
	This additional supporting data will be assessed in the same way as all other offshore wind farm applications. A decision can only be reached once all the outstanding issues have been resolved to an extent which will allow the National Assembly for Wales to make a decision on the licence application.

Seabird Populations

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the Common Fisheries Policies on seabird populations; and what mitigation measures are under discussion at EU level.

Ben Bradshaw: As part of its proposals for reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, the European Commission has published an action plan on improving environmental integration in fisheries management. The plan indicates that the European Community intends to follow the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's (FAO) International Plan of Action for Reducing Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries. The UK is fully supportive of this initiative.
	Little is known about the effects of discarding fish at sea on seabird populations. For some species it has been shown to have a positive effect by improving foraging possibilities and thus enhancing their populations. Birdlife International, however, concluded that the overall elimination of discards was more important in environmental terms than the short-term beneficial effects their continuation might have for seabirds.
	In 2000, the UK was instrumental in establishing of the closure of the wee Bankie groundsoff the coast of eastern Scotland and North-East Englandto sandeel fishing to protect breeding seabird populations. We have continued to support the closure in the interim.
	Outside EU waters, but still relevant to Community vessels fishing further afield, there are sea bird by-catch mitigation measures in place under Regional Fisheries Management Organisations. These include the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) and the Commission for the Conservation of the Arctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) also has some measures in place. However, these could be more comprehensive. With this in mind, the Government are proposing a study which will assess the impact on sea birds of the Atlantic tuna fishery. The outcome of this research will inform further appropriate conservation management measures.

Shipping Pollution

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to reduce emissions of  (a) sulphur and  (b) nitrogen oxide from shipping.

Ian Pearson: Under the internationally agreed methodology, greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping are excluded from the national greenhouse gas inventory. They are reported separately as a memo item and, if included, would represent less than 1 per cent. of the UK total CO2 emissions.
	The UK's approach to the regulation of shipping is to apply international standards to ships flying its flag and to ships entering its ports or operating in UK waters. Work on reducing maritime emissions is co-ordinated by the International Maritime Organisation. At the last Maritime Environment Protection Committee meeting in October 2006, the UK made a significant contribution to difficult negotiations on the adoption of Interim Guidelines for Voluntary Ship CO2 Emission Indexing for Use in Trials (as well as Guidelines for On-board Exhaust Gas Sulphur Oxide Cleaning Systems). Ships under the United Kingdom flag are being encouraged to participate in these trials, which will help identify a ship's greenhouse gas index where the information obtained may be used in the context of reducing CO2 emissions.
	The UK has also continued to push for the consideration of measures to reduce harmful emissions of a wider range of greenhouse gases, including nitrogen oxides, and has strongly advocated emissions trading as the most effective tool.

Waste Management

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the capital expenditure cost of achieving a 10 per cent. increase in recycling performance was for the private finance initiative waste contracts let to date.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Waste Management

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what private finance initiative schemes his Department is involved in relating to local authority waste collection and disposal.

Ben Bradshaw: To date, 21 waste projects have been approved and supported with private finance initiative (PFI) credits by this Department. Nine of these are operational, 11 of the others are currently in procurement and one project has been terminated. The total PFI credits committed to the 21 projects amounts to 933.84 million.
	The following table shows the projects that have already been awarded PFI credits, those that have been approved, and those that are in the procurement stages.
	
		
			  Project (authority)  Contract signature/approval date  PFI credits ( million)  Municipal solid waste arisings (tonnes) 
			 Isle of Wight Signed 1997-98 13 77,909 
			 Hereford and Worcester Signed 1998-99 57.4 397,862 
			 Kirklees Signed 1997-98 33.9 244,031 
			 South Gloucestershire Signed 2000-01 34.3 (6)140,000 
			 Surrey Signed 1999 85.5 591,359 
			 Central Berkshire Signed 2006-07 37 238,812 
			 ELWA Signed 2002-03 47 546,592 
			 East Sussex, Brighton and Hove Signed 2002-03 49 379,366 
			 Gloucestershire (terminated) Approved January 2003 31.105 (1)292,000 
			 Leicester Signed 2004 30.84 146,218 
			 West Sussex Signed 2003-04 25 463,650 
			 West Berkshire(2) Approved June 2003 28.49 83,643 
			 Cornwall(3) Signed 2006-07 45 285,315 
			 Cheshire County Council Approved May 2006 40 433,102 
			 Nottinghamshire(4) Signed 2006-07 38.31 468,678 
			 Lancashire Approved October 2003 90 667,479 
			 Northumberland(5) Approved April 2004 40.8 (6)175,000 
			 Shropshire Approved September 2004 35.8 (6)188,000 
			 Wakefield MDC Approved December 2004 33 (6)200,000 
			 Manchester WDA Approved January 2005 100 (6)1,483,000 
			 LB of Southwark Approved January 2005 34.5 (6)135,000 
			 Cambridgeshire CC Approved January 2005 35 (6)280,000 
			 (1) Includes additional 5 million approved in December 2004 (2) Includes additional 4.75 million approved in December 2004 (3) Includes additional 4.9 million approved in February 2004 and additional 15.1 million approved in 2006 (4) Includes additional 6.38million approved in December 2005 (5) Includes additional 6.8million approved in October 2006 (6) Figures are for 2003-04. The other municipal solid waste arisings are for 2001-02

Waste Management

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated average cost per bulb is of the disposal of  (a) an incandescent light bulb and  (b) an energy efficient light bulb for the purposes of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive.

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today to PQ No. 106739.

Water Use

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of changes in total water use since 1997; and what proportion of this change has resulted from changes in  (a) per capita household demand,  (b) population levels,  (c) demand from business and industry,  (d) demand from agriculture and  (e) other areas.

Ian Pearson: There has been a decline in water use by non-households of around 365 megalitres per day (MI/d) since 1997-98. In contrast, household use has increased by around 330 MI/d in the same period. Therefore, the volume of water use as a whole has remained largely unchanged.
	The rise in household use is mainly due to a rising population rather than increasing per capita consumption. Average per capita consumption has remained stable over the period being around 150 litres per head per day in an average year.
	The total amount of water put into the supply network (distribution input) has shown a decline of around 325MI/d since 1997-98. This reflects the progress made by the water industry in reducing leakage during this period.
	Table 1, produced using figures from Ofwat, shows water use for household and non household customers in each year since 1997-98 in MI/d. Table 2 shows the total average household consumption in litres per head per day for each year since 1997-98.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			   Water use-household MI/d  Water use non-household Ml/d  Total  Distribution input 
			 1997-98 7,430 4,047 11,477 15,683 
			 1998-99 7,348 3,926 11,274 15,056 
			 1999-2000 7,557 3,938 11,495 15,058 
			 2000-01 7,557 3,871 11,455 14,991 
			 2001-02 7,734 3,871 11,605 15,326 
			 2002-03 7,643 3,825 11,468 15,404 
			 2003-04 7,848 3,832 11,680 15,658 
			 2004-05 7,676 3,756 11,432 15,378 
			 2005-06 7,760 3,683 11,443 15,356 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2 
			   Industry average 
			 1997-98 149 
			 1998-99 146 
			 1999-2000 149 
			 2000-01 149 
			 2001-02 150 
			 2002-03 150 
			 2003-04 154 
			 2004-05 150 
			 2005-06 151 
			  Note: Averages are weighted by population of households 
		
	
	The Environment Agency does not have the data for the volume of water used by agriculture from public water supply. However, in its water resources strategy it did not identify agricultural use as a major component of public water supply, nor do water companies identify it as such in their annual returns and water resource plans.
	Table 3 provides data on the volumes directly abstracted for agricultural use and the percentage of total non-tidal surface and groundwater abstraction for which agricultural abstraction is responsible.
	
		
			  Table 3 
			  Percentage 
			   Irrigation  General agriculture  Total  Irr  Gen  Total 
			 1991 365 134 498 0.93 0.34 1.27 
			 1992 269 127 396 0.60 0.28 0.88 
			 1993 162 140 303 0.47 0.41 0.88 
			 1994 284 119 403 0.88 0.37 1.25 
			 1995 351 103 454 1.06 0.31 1.37 
			 1996 368 136 504 1.02 0.38 1.40 
			 1997 291 107 399 0.79 0.29 1.08 
			 1998 281 111 392 0.67 0.26 0.94 
			 1999 324 141 466 0.81 0.35 1.16 
			 2000 291 152 443 0.71 0.37 1.08 
			 2001 258 108 366 0.64 0.27 0.91 
			 2002 248 120 368 0.63 0.31 0.94 
			 2003 315 131 446 0.84 0.35 1.19 
			  Notes: 1. Data pre-1994 is of lower reliability. 2. Irrigation abstraction is seasonally (summer) and location specific, so its environmental impact is out of proportion to its percentage of the total. 
		
	
	The yearly fluctuation in irrigation is down to climatic issue. As irrigation in this country can largely be regarded as 'topping up' of rainfall, the national totals are very dependant on the amount of rainfall received that year and when it fell.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to be in a position to make a statement on the recent bombing of civilians by NATO planes in Afghanistan.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 30 November 2006
	I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 28 November 2006,  Official Report, column 620W.

Agency Expenditure

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of the National Audit Office's management letters for the 2005-06 annual accounts of  (a) the Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency,  (b) the Army Training and Recruiting Agency,  (c) the British Forces Post Office,  (d) the Defence Analytical Services Agency,  (e) the Defence Bills Agency,  (f) Defence Communication Services Agency,  (g) Defence Estates,  (h) the Defence Medical Education Training Agency,  (i) the Defence Procurement Agency,  (j) the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency,  (k) the Defence Transport and Movements Agency,  (l) the Defence Vetting Agency,  (m) the Disposal Services Agency,  (n) the Duke of York's Royal Military School,  (o) the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency,  (p) the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency,  (q) the Pay and Personnel Agency,  (r) the RAF Training Group Defence Agency,  (s) Service Children's Education and  (t) the Veterans Agency.

Derek Twigg: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces Deployment

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel are based in  (a) Germany and  (b) Cyprus; and if his Department will estimate the annual cost of keeping the force in (i) Germany and (ii) Cyprus.

Adam Ingram: Figures for the number of people posted in Germany and Cyprus are shown in Tri Service Publication 6, Global Location of UK Regular Forces (TSP 6).
	TSP 6 is published quarterly; the most recent publication shows the numbers of service personnel at 1 July 2006. Copies of TSP 6 are available in the Library of the House and also on www.dasa.mod.uk.
	Figures for the marginal cost of keeping the forces in Germany are not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The estimated cost, for the financial year 2006-07, of maintaining all British Forces in Cyprus is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However the costs for maintaining the Chief of Joint Operations area, which forms the majority of the British Forces in Cyprus is 156 million. In addition, the Sovereign Base Administration Areas (SBAAs) in Cyprus are estimated as costing a further 12 million in financial year 2006-07 (a total of 168 million).

Armoured Vehicles

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which vehicles were purchased to replace the 14 Mamba vehicles referred to in his answer of 8 November 2006 to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on armoured personnel carriers.

Adam Ingram: The Mamba was used by Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams for specialist tasks such as EOD reconnaissance, rescue and recovery and route proving.
	The TEMPEST vehicle from Supacat Ltd was selected to replace it in the same role as a Mine Protected Vehicle (MPV). The name TEMPEST is no longer used and the vehicle is now known in UK service simply as the MPV.

Armoured Vehicles

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what effect he expects the purchase of Vector and Cougar armoured vehicles to have on procurement of the Future Rapid Effect System project; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 29 November 2006
	The purchase of the Vector and Cougar armoured vehicles will have no direct effect on the Future Rapid Effect System programme. Vector and Cougar are light armoured vehicles that have been purchased to meet an urgent requirement on current operations.
	FRES will deliver a fleet of medium-weight wheeled and tracked armoured vehicles with higher levels of strategic deployability, survivability and lethality than lighter armoured vehicles can provide.

Armoured Vehicles

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much the purchase of 14 Mamba Troop vehicles cost; and when the purchase was made;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the sale of the 14 Mamba Troop vehicles.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 29 November 2006
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 November 2006,  Official Report, column 1546W, to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock).

Armoured Vehicles

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Panther armoured vehicles are planned to be delivered to the British Army; what role they will play; and how many are expected to be sent to  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 29 November 2006
	An order has been placed for 401 Panther command and liaison vehicles. Panther will replace a variety of vehicles operating in the command and liaison role. The deployment of this vehicle on operations will depend on judgments by the Permanent Joint Headquarters.

Black Hawk Helicopters

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will assess the merits of leasing Black Hawk helicopters from the United States administration.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 4 December 2006
	The possible merits of leasing Battlefield Helicopters is currently being explored under the Lift Advanced Concept Phase, part of the Future Rotorcraft Capability programme.

Challenger 2 Tanks

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the deployments of three or more Challenger 2 tanks normally based in  (a) Germany and  (b) the UK in each of the last five years; and what the (i) deployment location and (ii) length of deployment was in each case.

Adam Ingram: I am withholding information regarding the deployments of three or more Challenger 2 tanks as disclosure of such information could have a bearing on our operational security and could place our servicemen and women in danger or at risk of potential harm.

Defence Export Services Organisation

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the process to select a successor to Alan Garwood as Head of the Defence Export Services has begun; and what the process will involve.

Adam Ingram: The process to find a successor to Alan Garwood as Head of Defence Export Services has not yet begun. Recruitment to the position will be in accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Code which requires appointment on merit to the civil service, the process being chaired by a Civil Service Commissioner.

Departmental Expenditure Limits

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  why he intends to increase expenditure within Departmental Expenditure Limits for subheads  (a) Request for Resources 1-F and  (b) Request for Resources 1-J; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  why he intends to reduce resource expenditure within Departmental Expenditure Limits for subheads:  (a) Request for Resources 1-A;  (b) Request for Resources 1-B;  (c) Request for Resources 1-C;  (d) Request for Resources 1-D; Request for Resources 1-E;  (f) Request for Resources 1-G;  (g) Request for Resources 1-H;  (h) Request for Resources 1-I; Request for Resources 1-K; and  (j) Request for Resources 1-L; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The majority of these changes to the Departmental Expenditure Limit relate to the Department's fixed asset management project, which is part of the Defence Resource Management Programme to 'simplify and improve' financial processes across the Department. The changes reflect the centralisation of fixed asset management under four single balance sheet owners (SBSOs) Defence Estates (DE), Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO), Defence Procurement Agency (DPA) and the Defence Communications Services Agency (DCSA), which is part of the DLO. This resulted in net increases to the Defence Logistics Organisation and Defence Estates, offset by reductions in the other TLBs. There will be further adjustments in the Spring Supplementary Estimates.
	Other changes have been made to Top Level Budget Holders (TLB) allocations of Resource funding to bring the allocations into line with responsibility transfers between TLBs, and other adjustments to reflect the Defence outputs required since Main Estimates.

Departmental Staff

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) marketing officers,  (b) communications officers and  (c) press officers are employed in his Department; and what the total expenditure on communications for his Department was on (i) Government Information and Communication Service staff and (ii) other (A) press officers, (B) special advisers and (C) staff in the last year for which figures are available.

Derek Twigg: As at 1 October 2006 there were 103 staff working in communications roles directly employed by the Department's Media and Communications Directorate; 29 performing press officer roles and 14 performing marketing/publicity roles. These include military as well as civilian staff. The figure of 103 does not however include those working in communications roles (including press officer and marketing/publicity) across the Department directly employed by Defence agencies, joint headquarters, single-service commands, or at unit level, some of whom perform these roles in addition to a non-communications main role. Total expenditure on communications is not held centrally.
	The Government Information and Communication Service (GICS) has been superseded by what is now the Government Communications Network (GCN). The GCN was launched in January 2005 and open to all civilian and military staff in the Department performing communications work to register. As at 1 October 2006 the total number who had self-registered to the GCN in MOD was approximately 200. Work however is underway to establish a more accurate baseline of communications staff in the Department.

Eurofighter

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total management fee recovered from the Saudi Arabian Government was to cover the costs incurred in promoting the sale of Eurofighter aircraft by BAE Systems to Saudi Arabia.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 October 2006,  Official Report, columns 1477-78W.

Gender Equality

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to publish his Department's gender equality scheme.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence has already published the requirements of the gender equality scheme in its first overarching MOD Equality and Diversity Scheme 2006-09. The scheme encompasses the armed forces, civilians, the Ministry of Defence police and Executive agencies. The scheme fulfils the Department's legal obligations to have an equality scheme in place under current race legislation, as well as future disability provision which came into force on 4 December 2006.
	Copies of the scheme and its associated action plans are available in the Library of the House and have also been published on the Department's website.

Ground-Based Interceptors

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department will estimate the financial cost to the UK of  (a) procuring, deploying and operating Ground-Based Interceptors from the US missile defence Ground-Based Midcourse Defence system and  (b) developing, procuring, deploying and operating a missile for the Type-45 destroyers that has equivalent or similar anti ballistic missile capability to the US Standard Missile-3.

Des Browne: No decisions have yet been taken on whether or not to acquire ballistic missile defence for the United Kingdom. Work by officials continues to examine potential options for future UK participation in a missile defence system, including the strategic, cost and legal issues arising. UK officials are also working with their NATO counterparts to consider the implications of a NATO Feasibility Study into options for Alliance missile defence. Given the range of options that might be available it is premature to speculate on the possible costs.

Harmony Guidelines

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of personnel serving with  (a) Harrier squadrons,  (b) Nimrod aircraft and  (c) Royal Air Force Regiment Field Squadrons exceed the harmony guidelines.

Adam Ingram: The Royal Air Force reports against Harmony Guidelines for formed unit tour intervals, and against Individual Separated Service guidelines for personnel. Nimrod squadrons do not deploy as formed units. RAF Harrier squadrons and Regiment Field Squadrons deploy as formed units but not all personnel serving with the squadrons deploy at once.
	As unit tour intervals do not specify the percentage of personnel who deploy, data has been supplied based on Individual Separated Service. The figures for the percentage of personnel serving with RAF Harrier, Nimrod, and RAF Regiment Field Squadrons who exceeded the RAF Individual Separated Service guideline of 140 days of detached duty in a rolling 12-month period are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Unit  Percentage of RAF personnel exceeding 140 days in rolling 12 month period to 30 September 2006 
			 RAF Harrier squadrons (1 and 4 Sqns, 20 (R) Sqn-Harrier Operational Conversion Unit) (1)2.9 
			 Nimrod squadrons (51, 120 and 201 Sqns, and 42 (R) SqnNimrod Operational Conversion Unit) (1)0.5 
			 RAF Regiment Field Squadrons (1, 2, 3, 34, 51 Sqns and 63 (Queens Colour) Sqn) (1)11.7 
			 (1) Provisional. Due to the introduction of a new Personnel Administration System for the RAF, all RAF data from 1 May 2006 are provisional and subject to review. 
		
	
	As at 30 September 2006, 0 per cent. of the personnel serving with the Royal Navy Harrier squadrons (800 and 801 Naval Air Squadron) exceeded Royal Navy Separated Service guidelines of 660 days in a rolling three-year period.

Helicopter Statistics

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) Army Aircorps and  (b) RAF helicopters are deployed in (i) Iraq, (ii) Afghanistan and (iii) Northern Ireland.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 28 November 2006
	There are sufficient numbers of helicopters in all theatres to carry out the allocated tasks. I am withholding a breakdown of the number of helicopters by theatre as this would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness and security of our armed forces. We keep under constant review how best to sustain and refresh the helicopter capability provided to all operations.

Hercules Aircraft

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the time scale is for the programme to fit explosion suppressant foam to Hercules aircraft; how many aircraft will be fitted with the foam; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The majority of the RAF's C-130 Hercules fleet will be fitted with explosion suppressant foam (ESF). On current plans the programme will be completed by the end of next year.
	I am withholding the precise number of C-130 Hercules aircraft that will be fitted with ESF as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the security of the UK's armed forces.

HMS Vanguard

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of the refit of HMS Vanguard; and over what periods the costs were included in the expenditure accounts.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 29 November 2006
	The cost of HMS Vanguard's long overhaul period (refuel), formerly referred to as a refit, up to the end of the last financial year, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  HMS Vanguard spend profile 
			million 
			 2000-01 7 
			 2001-02 45 
			 2002-03 114 
			 2003-04 84 
			 2004-05 40 
			 2005-06 2 
			 Total 291 
		
	
	The costs have been rounded to the nearest 1 million and include planning work generic to the class as a whole.
	No further costs are anticipated, although a refund of some 6 million is anticipated in this financial year in accordance with the target cost incentive fee arrangement.

Home Ownership Schemes

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any of the staff in his Department who are not serving members of the armed forces are classed as key workers for the purposes of the  (a) low-cost home ownership and  (b) shared ownership schemes.

Derek Twigg: Ministry of Defence civilian personnel who are classed as key workers for the purposes of low- cost home ownership schemes such as the new-build home-buy shared equity scheme are:
	Members of the Ministry of Defence Police
	Uniformed members of the Defence Fire Service
	Clinical staff excluding doctors and dentists.

Iraq

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many airbridge flights for forces personnel serving in Iraq were  (a) cancelled,  (b) delayed and  (c) diverted with less than a days notice in 2005; and what the figures are for 2006.

Adam Ingram: The number of flights undertaken in support of operations in Iraq are shown in the following table, together with the number of cancellations, delays and diversions.
	
		
			   2005 (April-December)  2006 (January to date) 
			  Commercial air charter flights   
			 Total number of flights from RAF Brize Norton to Al Udeid 43 89 
			 Cancelled flights 0 0 
			 Delays of more than 2 hours 5 14 
			 Diverted 1 1 
			 Total number of flights from All Udeid to RAF Brize Norton 43 89 
			 Cancelled flights 1 1 
			 Delays of more than 2 hours 9 11 
			 Diverted 0 1 
			
			  Royal Air Force flights   
			 Total number of flights from RAF Brize Norton to Basrah/Al Udeid 196 37 
			 Cancelled flights 5 0 
			 Delays of more than 2 hours 36 7 
			 Total number of flights from Basrah/Al Udeid to RAF Brize Norton 196 37 
			 Cancelled flights 0 0 
			 Delays of more than 2 hours 8 2 
			 Diverted 17 1

Iraq and Afghanistan: Resources

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which operations outside Iraq and Afghanistan are included in the expenditure within subhead Request for Resources 2-C.

Adam Ingram: There are no other operations included in the expenditure within subhead Request for Resources 2-C.

Iraq and Afghanistan: Resources

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what his Department's estimate is for Direct Resource Expenditure in Request for Resources 2 in Iraq and Afghanistan for 2006-07 calculated on the same basis as table 1 of the memorandum sent to the Defence Select Committee on 6 March 2006;
	(2)  what his Department's estimate is for Capital Expenditure in Request for Resources 2 in Iraq and Afghanistan for 2006-07 calculated on the same basis as table 2 of the memorandum sent to the Defence Select Committee on 6 March 2006.

Derek Twigg: The increase in Direct Resource and Capital expenditure in Request for Resources 2 in Iraq and Afghanistan is set out in the tables. These follow the same format as that contained in the Estimates Memorandum sent to the Defence Select Committee on 6 March 2006.
	There is no separate contingency identified in our winter supplementary claim.
	
		
			   million 
			   2006-07 
			  Cost type  Iraq  Afghanistan 
			  Resourcedirect   
			 Personnel 77 32 
			 Stock/other consumption 191 103 
			 Infrastructure costs 106 73 
			 Equipment support costs 189 81 
			 Other costs and services 112 67 
			 Income foregone 5 4 
			 Total 680 360 
		
	
	
		
			   million 
			   2006-07 
			  Cost type  Iraq  Afghanistan 
			  Capital   
			 Capital additions 180 180

Military Campaign Medals

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which data protection regulations prevent him from naming media recipients of the Iraq campaign medal.

Derek Twigg: Media recipients of the Iraq campaign medal were given no indication that their personal data would be placed in the public domain. Disclosure of the relevant names would therefore breach the first and second data protection principles (see Schedule 1 to the Data Protection Act 1998), which require that data subjects must not be deceived or misled about the purposes for which personal data is processed.

Military Vehicles

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the expected running costs per mile are of the BvS10 Viking all-terrain vehicle, including routine maintenance;
	(2)  what the cost is of the BvS10 Viking all-terrain vehicle  (a) as supplied and  (b) with slatted armour as delivered to Camp Bastion in Helmand Province;
	(3)  what the maximum speed is of a BvS10 Viking all-terrain vehicle when driven on paved roadways;
	(4)  what the cost is, excluding that of the weapon, of providing the general purpose machine gun station on the BvS10 Viking all-terrain vehicle; and what protection the station affords from sniper fire.

Adam Ingram: The BvSl0 Viking all-terrain vehicles entered service in April 2006 and vehicle capitation (mileage) rates are not yet available.
	There are three variants of the BvSl0 Viking; the Troop-Carrying variant; the Command variant; and the Repair and Recovery variant. The average capital cost per vehicle across all three variants is 348,000. The cost per vehicle for the additional armour and the general purpose machine gun station is estimated at 11,000 and 20,000 respectively. The vehicle has a maximum road speed of 65km/h.
	I am withholding information relating to the level of protection afforded by the general purpose machine gun station as disclosure would compromise operational security.

Military Vehicles

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the price is of a BAe Land Systems RG-31 Mine Protected Vehicle.

Adam Ingram: The information requested cannot be disclosed, as it would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of this defence contractor.

Military Vehicles

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors were taken into account in deciding to fit a remote weapon station to the Panther Future Command Liaison vehicle.

Adam Ingram: The role of the vehicle, the surveillance requirements and the threat environment on operations were the factors taken into account.

Military Vehicles

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) data on running costs and  (b) other economic data were obtained in relation to the vehicles evaluated during the Future Command Liaison Vehicle procurement; and whether the RG-31 was one of the vehicles evaluated.

Adam Ingram: Indicative whole life costs were received from the contractors during the assessment phase, in relation to the vehicles evaluated. This included the RG-31 which was offered as part of the assessment phase in 2001 for the Future Command and Liaison Vehicle. The three bids for demonstration, manufacture and support contained a more detailed lifecycle cost model as part of their tender, but the RG-31 was not one of those bids.

Minehunters

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors were taken into account when the decision was made not to fit remote environmental monitoring units to all Royal Navy minehunters; and which minehunters will not be included in the REMUS programme.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 29 November 2006
	Remote environmental monitoring units are man-portable and can be deployed from a number of Royal Navy platforms, including minehunters. However, there is no requirement to fit them to minehunters as all have a highly capable onboard environmental monitoring capability which fulfils their operational purpose.

Non-operating Appropriations

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why he intends to increase non-operating appropriations in aid for subhead Request for Resources 1-J.

Adam Ingram: The non-operating appropriations in aid for Request for Resources 1-J are being increased to reflect the anticipated receipts from planned estate disposals.

Outstanding Equipment Orders

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which equipment orders are outstanding for UK forces in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan; and when the orders will be delivered.

Adam Ingram: As the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are still ongoing, much information regarding operational equipment remains sensitive, and its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the security of our armed forces.
	The equipment on order for UK forces in Iraq and Afghanistan that is not operationally sensitive covers such a wide range of areas that the information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Phoenix Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Phoenix unmanned aerial vehicles are in service; what the cost to purchase was; and what assessment he has made of their performance.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 4 December 2006
	There are currently 73 Phoenix unmanned aerial vehicles in service. The procurement cost of the programme was 248 million. Phoenix underwent assessment and trialling prior to entering service and has been successfully deployed on operations in Kosovo and Iraq.

Private Finance Initiative

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total capital value is of each private finance initiative scheme overseen by his Department which has reached financial close; over what period repayments will take place; and what the total cost of repayment will be.

Adam Ingram: The following table sets out the centrally held information on PFI projects. These are projects that fall within the scope of the definition of PFI, set out in the HMT document PFI: Meeting the Investment Challenge (July 2003) i.e. PFI projects that do not predominantly involve Information Technology and those generally with a capital value above 20 million.
	
		
			  Project name  Estimated capital value ( million)  Contract length (Year)  Total estimated contract payments ( million) 
			 Army Foundation College 65 30 643 
			 ASTUTE Class Training Service 73 36 551 
			 Attack Helicopters TrainingApache Simulator Training 232 19 652 
			 Bristol, Bath and Portsmouth Family Married Quarters 78 28 239 
			 C vehicles 114 15 742 
			 Central Scotland Family Quarters 24 24 4 
			 Colchester Garrison 539 35 2,901 
			 defence Animal Centre 11 25 10 
			 Defence Helicopter Flying School 68 15 188 
			 Defence Sixth Form College 51 30 386 
			 Devonport Support Service-ARMADA 45 25 513 
			 Field Electrical Power Supplies 73 20 228 
			 NRTA Fire Fighting Training Units 22 20 119 
			 Hawk Simulator Training Service 20 18 38 
			 Heavy Equipment Transporters 65 22 404 
			 Joint Services Command and Staff College 93 35 540 
			 Light Aircraft Flying Training 20 10 115 
			 Main Building Refurbishment 439 30 2,348 
			 Medium Support Helicopter Aircrew Training Facility 114 20 323 
			 Aquatrine Package A 154 25 998 
			 Aquatrine Package B 49 25 377 
			 Aquatrine Package C 174 25 1,044 
			 Northwood Headquarters 162 25 1,143 
			 Portsmouth Housing 2 27 27 81 
			 Allenby/Connaught 1,257 35 7,317 
			 RAF Cosford and Shawbury Family Quarters 15 25 53 
			 RAF Lossiemouth Family Quarters 34 20 81 
			 Strategic Sealift (Ro-Ro Ferries) 195 24 599 
			 Skynet 5 1,079 16 3,660 
			 Tornado GR4 Simulator 54 21 205 
			 Tri-Service Materials Handling Service 35 10 88 
			 Naval Communications 58 30 236 
			 Wattisham Married Quarters 13 25 138 
		
	
	The Department has signed a further 25 deals, that are either below 20 million or involve a significant IT/IS element. Information is not held centrally on them and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

R and D Costs

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated research and development costs are for the  (a) Type-45 destroyer and  (b) Astute submarine programme.

Adam Ingram: The estimated Design and Development costs for the Type-45 destroyer are 1,562 million and for the Astute submarine programme, 1,104 million (outturn prices).

Royal Navy Ships

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Navy ships are  (a) at sea,  (b) ready for deployment,  (c) at reduced readiness and  (d) mothballed; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The number of Royal Navy ships at sea changes daily and is currently 13. A further 18 ships are ready for deployment of which a number can be at sea at any time depending on their state of readiness. Seven vessels are at reduced readiness and six at extended readiness.
	I am withholding the names of the specific ships and their state of readiness as this could enable deductions to be made that could be prejudicial to national security.

Spare Parts

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to his Department has been of the loss of spare parts while being delivered to their intended destination in each of the last two years.

Adam Ingram: While losses in transit have been recorded since 2005-06, data are not held in such a way that would enable separate identification of the cost of losses relating to 'spare parts'.

Training

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what level of funding has been provided for the  (a) Air Training Corps and  (b) Army Cadet force in each of the last eight years.

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on school combined cadet forces in the last 12 months.

Derek Twigg: The information requested is not available in the format requested and will take time to collate.
	I will therefore write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Troop Transportation

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) aircraft and  (b) RAF personnel are involved in the transportation of UK forces to and from deployments.

Adam Ingram: In support of Operation Herrick (Afghanistan) there are currently four RAF passenger-carrying aircraft and four freight-carrying aircraft per week. A further two chartered commercial freight-carrying aircraft per week are also used. During periods of surge, further passenger and freight aircraft are flown to meet planned increases in operational demand. A fleet of up to four RAF tactical aircraft are used to meet logistical requirements in-theatre; and again this number may be increased to support surge requirements.
	In support of Operation Telic (Iraq) there are currently four charter passenger-carrying commercial flights operating each week into Qatar, from where passengers are transferred into Theatre using RAF tactical airlift. To support freight requirements the RAF operates three military flights per week, which are supplemented by a further two chartered aircraft. During periods of surge, further passenger and freight aircraft are flown to meet planned increases in operational demand. A fleet of up to four RAF tactical aircraft are used to meet logistical requirements in-theatre; again this number may be increased to support surge requirements.
	Information on personnel involved in the transportation of UK forces to and from deployments could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Watchkeeper Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Watchkeeper unmanned aerial vehicles his Department expects to purchase in the next 12 months; what the cost will be; and what assessment he has made of their likely performance.

Adam Ingram: There are no plans to purchase any Watchkeeper vehicles in the next 12 months. The contract for the Watchkeeper system was signed with Thales UK in July 2005 at a value of just over 700 million.

Weapon-related Equipment

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what items of weapon-related equipment for which his Department was responsible were stolen in the last 12 months.

Derek Twigg: In answering this question I have taken theft of 'weapon-related' equipment to mean stolen weapons and ammunition. Weapons and ammunition are the only types of 'weapon-related equipment' for which central records of thefts are maintained.
	The following weapons and ammunition for which the Department was responsible were stolen in the last 12 months:
	
		
			  Type  Number listed as stolen 
			 Ammunition 5.56 mm 230 
			 Smoke Grenade Training 2 
			 Baton Round (Blank) 1 
			 Rifle 5.56 mm 6 
			 Rifle No. 8 (Cadet) 4 
			 Pistol 9 mm 2

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Departmental Staff

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many temporary employees were contracted to work for his Department in 2005-06; and what the total cost of such employees was in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 1997-98.

Jim Fitzpatrick: DTI departmental report 2006 states the number of casual and non-permanent staff in 2004-05 and the estimated outturn number for casual and non-permanent staff in 2005-06. The estimated outturn for 2005-06 is 214 full-time equivalent casual and non-permanent staff. The actual figure will be reported in the departmental report 2007 due to be published in the spring. These numbers are taken from our departmental headcount monitoring and reporting system and are an average of the number of casual and non-permanent staff DTI employs over a financial year.
	Due to disproportionate cost we are unable to report the total cost of casual and non-permanent employees in 1997-98 or 2005-06.

Electricity Supply

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the capacity of the national electricity transmission grid to meet the UK's energy needs over the next 15 years; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Darling: The holders of electricity transmission licences have a licence obligation to ensure that sufficient transmission capacity is made available. There is a formal process overseen by Ofgem for those wishing to connect and use the electricity transmission system; this ensures that signals are provided on the future capacity requirements of the transmission system. Within this framework, Ofgem are required to ensure sufficient funding is available to ensure network developments are undertaken in a timely manner.

Energy Costs

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many  (a) complaints and  (b) items of correspondence have been received from (i) businesses, (ii) representative bodies of businesses and (iii) members of the public by his Department on energy costs in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Department's current correspondence handling system cannot order cases by topic, and to provide this information would require reading through over 9,000 cases.

Energy Costs

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average household energy bill was in  (a) England and Wales,  (b) England and  (c) Wales in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Energywatch, has estimated the typical standard credit energy bill in Great Britain as 642 for gas and 388 for electricity giving a total bill of 1,030. Separate data for Wales, England and Scotland are not available.
	Actual bills will be affected by a number of factors, including the number of customers switching supplier and/or payment methods, and future tariff changes from the energy suppliers.

Energy Efficiency

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  whether  (a) incandescent light bulbs and  (b) energy efficient light bulbs are subject to the provisions of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether  (a) incandescent and  (b) energy efficient light bulbs including compact fluorescent bulbs are subject to the provisions of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Directive; what the estimated average cost of disposal per bulb is in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Incandescent light bulbs are not subject to the provisions of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, but energy efficient light bulbs, including compact fluorescent bulbs, are. According to industry estimates it costs 20 - 25p to treat a fluorescent bulb. This treatment cost information appeared in the partial Regulatory Impact Assessment published as part of the consultation on draft WEEE regulations, which ended on 17 October. A final Regulatory Impact Assessment will accompany the WEEE Regulations when they are laid before the House in early December.

Energy Policy

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many meetings he and his Ministers have had in the last 12 months with  (a) the Department for Communities and Local Government and  (b) HM Treasury on the promotion of (i) decentralised energy and (ii) combined heat and power technologies.

Alistair Darling: holding answer 27 November 2006
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and I have held regular discussions in the last 12 months with the Department of Communities and Local Government/HMT on a range of energy issues including the promotion of decentralised energy and combined heat and power technologies.

Energy Policy

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with British Energy on the future of energy in the UK.

Malcolm Wicks: As a stakeholder in British Energy, Ministers and officials of the DTI have regular meetings with the company to discuss a range of business and energy-related issues.

Energy Supply

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the contribution of residual municipal solid waste for the production of energy to the security of energy supply; and if he will make a statement on its overall position in the energy mix.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 4 December 2006
	The Government's waste policy prioritises prevention, reuse and recycling over the recovery of energy from residual wastes. But where prevention, reuse and recycling are not practical, recovering energy from waste could displace fossil generation and contribute to our energy policy and climate change goals as a secure source of low carbon energy. DEFRA have indicated energy from residual waste could provide some 6 TWh by 2020.
	DTI commissioned Ilex Energy Consultants to look at the potential contribution from energy from waste during the review of the renewables obligation in 2005 and the reports are available at http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file21117.pdf and http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file22325.pdf. Following the review eligibility for energy from waste was extended to include good quality CHP projects and dedicated biomass projects from which at least 90 per cent. of the energy produced came from biomass.

Franco-British Nuclear Forum

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the membership is of the Franco-British Nuclear Forum; what the  (a) structure and  (b) objectives are of the forum; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Darling: Details of the membership, structure and objectives of the forum can be found on the Department's website at http//www.dti.gov.uk

Fuel Meters

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to introduce smart meters for  (a) gas and  (b) electricity provision.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 30 November 2006
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Davies) on 29 November 2006,  Official Report, column 691W.

Hinkley Point Power Station

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment his Department  (a) has made and  (b) has commissioned the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate to make of the problems with the spent fuel handling and storage facility at the Hinkley Point power plant.

Malcolm Wicks: None. Operational issues are a matter for the operators of nuclear power stations.

Nuclear Industry

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether all nuclear material produced in the UK is traceable to a specific reactor.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 30 November 2006
	Nuclear safeguards arrangements apply to nuclear material (i.e. plutonium, uranium and thorium) as defined in international safeguards agreements. Such safeguards do not apply to other radioactive substances. Safeguards materials accountancy and operating records for reactors will include information on what has been produced in them. After fuel has been reprocessed however, as in any other bulk process, tracking is not accurate at the atomic level.

Oil

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to announce the award of licences under the 24th licensing round for oil and gas exploration; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 4 December 2006
	DTI is carrying out the appropriate assessment of the environmental effects of awarding licences on relevant conservation sites as required under the Habitats Directive. We are in the process of finalising the appropriate assessment and are considering the issues that have arisen some of which raise concerns regarding the possible environmental effects of potential awards. We are addressing these issues as a matter of urgency. It is important that environmental concerns are considered fully and as a result we do not have an exact timing for a decision on awards.

Post Office

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many sub-post offices there were in each constituency in  (a) 1999 and  (b) 2005, listed in descending order of the change in the number of sub-post offices between the two dates.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The question raised relates to operational matters for which Post Office Ltd. is directly responsible. The company compiles figures for post office branches in each parliamentary constituency on an annual basis. This information is placed in and is available from the Libraries of the House.

Public Bodies

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much funding his Department gave to the  (a) Central Arbitration Committee,  (b) Competition Appeal Tribunal,  (c) Copyright Tribunal,  (d) Employment Appeal Tribunal,  (e) Employment Tribunals,  (f) Insolvency Practitioners Panel,  (g) Persons Hearing Consumer Credit,  (h) Licensing Appeals Tribunal and  (i) Persons Hearing Estate Agent Appeals in each of the last five years; and how much has been provided to each body in 2006-07.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 4 December 2006
	Funding which DTI gave (or DTI has provided for in the case of 2006-07) to the following bodies in the years shown:
	
		
			   000 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  Central Arbitration Committee 1,170 990 970 1,010 770 800 
			 DTI does not fund the CAC directly, but DTI does fund ACAS, which is statutorily responsible for resourcing the CAC   
			
			  Competition Appeal Tribunal 0 0 499 682 646 777 
			 The CAT came into being on 1 April 2003. In addition to the CAT costs, running costs are met by the Competition Service. These CS operating costs were 0 0 2,093 2,692 2,953 2,973 
			
			  Copyright Tribunal   
			 The Patent Office pays the costs of running the CT. DTI has not paid any such costs.   
			
			  Employment Appeal Tribunal   
			 Employment Tribunals 55,042 64,376 68,321 68,131 73,762 0 
			 ETs and the EAT are co-funded through the Employment Tribunals Service (which became the Tribunals Service in April 2006) DTI funding ceased from April 2006, as responsibility transferred to DCA. The costs shown are for ETs and the EAT combined, the overwhelming majority relating to ETs.   
			
			  Insolvency Practitioners Tribunal   
			 A maximum of 4,000 has been spent in any one year on IPT costs, and 2004-05 was the last time costs were incurred.   
			
			  Persons Hearing Consumer Credit Licensing Appeals Tribunal 24 9 29 18 37 30 
			
			  Persons Hearing Estate Agent Appeals 0 0 7 4 6 8

Retirement: Age

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to his answer of 27 November 2006,  Official Report, column 386W, on the retirement age, what the aims were which the Government were seeking to achieve; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer to my answer of 30 October 2006 , Official Report, columns 93-94W. The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations aim to tackle unjustified age discrimination in employment and vocational training. The default retirement age and the employee's right to request working beyond retirement age, were introduced in order to deliver the Government's labour market objectives of recognising the need for work force planning and avoiding adverse impact on the provision of occupational pensions and other work-related benefits. Our position was also set out in the joint written statement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to the House on 14 December 2004,  Official Report, column 127WS.

Carbon Monoxide

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to promote the use of carbon monoxide detectors in homes.

Anne McGuire: I have been asked to reply.
	The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) strongly recommends the use of approved, audible carbon monoxide (CO) detectors in all homes that use gas appliances. Such detectors should not be regarded as a substitute for competent maintenance and annual safety checks of gas equipment by a CORGI-registered installer. These primary safeguards are required by law in rented accommodation.
	This recommendation, applying to all homes, was most recently publicised by the Chief Executive of HSE on 24 October 2006.
	There is a range of penalties that the courts can impose if a landlord is guilty of an offence. Magistrates courts can impose a fine of up to 5,000 on summary conviction. The Crown Court can impose an unlimited fine. If death results from CO poisoning, the Crown Prosecution Service can decide to bring manslaughter charges for which life imprisonment is the maximum penalty.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Boards

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what estimate the Government has made of the representation of women at board level in public companies.

Meg Munn: The latest figures from Cranfield University female FTSE 100 report show the total representation of women at board level in public companies is 256 women with directorships, and 44 women with executive directorships. There are 117 (10 per cent.) women directors in the FTSE 100, and 139 (6.6 per cent.) in the FTSE 101-350; also there are 15 women (4 per cent.) with executive directorships in the FTSE 100, and 29 (4 per cent.) in the FTSE 101-350. 24 companies in the FTSE 100 have no female board members.

Family-friendly Policies

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recent discussions she has had with the Secretaries of State for  (a) Education,  (b) Health and  (c) Trade and Industry on the introduction of family friendly policies; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Munn: I have had no recent discussions with the Secretaries of State for Education, for Health and for Trade and Industry on the introduction of family friendly policies.
	Government are committed to giving children the best start in life, to enable all families to have genuine choices about how they balance their work and family responsibilities and to help business to recruit and retain the best people.
	Since 2003, parents of children under the age of six and disabled children have had the right to request flexible working. The Work and Families Act 2006 builds on this further by establishing a balanced package of rights and responsibilities, for both employers and employees, in line with the Government's better regulation agenda. Some of the measures within the Act include extending the right to request flexible working to the carers of adults, extending the period for payment of Statutory Maternity Pay, Maternity Allowance and Statutory Adoption Pay to a maximum of 52 weeks and giving fathers and new right to an additional period of paternity leave.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Bonus Payments

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff in her predecessor Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years for which information is available; what proportion of the total work force they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid was; what the largest single payment was in each year; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: Available information on bonus payments to senior civil servants (SCS) and non-SCS staff in my predecessor Department, in respect of overall performance and exceptional performance on specific tasks or at specific times, is set out as follows.
	
		
			   Number of staff receiving awards  Proportion of staff group receiving awards (percentage)  Total amount of award ()  Largest award () 
			  Senior civil servants 
			 With effect from: 
			 1 April 2006(1) 83 67 570,000 12,500 
			 1 April 2005 86 72 426,000 9,500 
			 1 April 2004 71 59 343,000 9,650 
			  
			  Non-SCS staff 
			 With effect from: 
			 1 August 2005(1,2) 503 24 170,000 600 
			 1 August 2004 293 14 126,000 600 
			 1 August 2003 237 11 86,000 500 
			  
			  Special bonus awards 
			 During: 
			 2005-06(1) 301 14 105,000 600 
			 2004-06 400 19 116,000 600 
			 2003-04 356 17 116,000 600 
			 (1) This amends some figures given in a previous answer of 6 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 868-69W. (2) Performance awards were extended to further grades of non-SCS staff with effect from 1 August 2005.

Climate Change

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department plans to take to ensure that the forthcoming Climate Change Planning Policy Statement reinforces PPS22 policy requiring on-site renewable energy in new developments.

Yvette Cooper: We have said that the Planning Policy Statement on climate change will set out how Government expect participants in the planning process should work towards the reduction of carbon emissions, including through the use of renewable energy, in the location, siting and design of new development.

Council Tax

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what restrictions are in place for the sharing of information about houses obtained when assessing properties for council tax; whether there are plans to change these restrictions; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Information about individual dwellings is not shared with third parties except where authorised and in accordance with current statutory, confidentiality and data protection restrictions. No change in this position is planned.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans the Valuation Office Agency has to publish council tax valuation schemes on the internet.

Phil Woolas: None.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether there is a council tax exemption for homes empty due to the death of the owner.

Phil Woolas: Properties unoccupied since the death of the owner are exempt from council tax under class F of the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order (SI 1992/613) (as amended) from the date of death of the owner until up to six months after the date of a grant of probate or letters of administration have been made.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities have introduced local council tax discounts under the Local Government Act 2003; and what the  (a) level and  (b) nature of the discount was in the most recent year for which information is available.

Phil Woolas: A table detailing which local authorities have introduced local council tax discounts under the Local Government Act 2003 along with the level and nature of the discount is shown. These data, the latest available, were collected on CTB Supplementary forms submitted by each local authority as at October 2005.
	
		
			  Local council tax discounts introduced as a result of the Local Government Act 2003 
			  Authority name  Have used power prior to  1 October 2005  Plan to use power after 1 October 2005  Details provided by authority 
			 Adur Yes Yes There are eight accounts where the occupiers were previously granted disabled relief based on previous guidelines. When the Sandwell MBC case was determined and the results published we looked at the decisions previously made and determined to protect those cases where changing the decision would have had financial implications to the taxpayer through no fault of their own. In these cases we have agreed to an 15 per cent. reduction on the council tax bill as a local discount. 
			 Ashford Yes Yes  
			 Bridgnorth Yes Yes The council determined that unoccupied furnished dwellings that are not connected to mains services would continue to receive 50 per cent. discount. 
			 Brighton and Hove Yes Yes Any unoccupied and substantially unfurnished domestic property, not otherwise exempt from council tax, which constitutes a self contained part of a building of which the whole is not domestic property and, by reason of its situation in relation to a part of the building that is not domestic property, is difficult to let separately will have liability to pay council tax reduced to 50 per cent. 
			 Bromsgrove Yes No  
			 Camden No Yes A local exemption class may be created where the taxpayer is forced to leave their main home in Camden unoccupied due to serious damage caused by external environmental factors beyond their control and where statutory exemptions would not otherwise apply. For any local exemption class created, the exemption will cease after 12 months or upon reoccupation of the main home, whichever is sooner. 
			 Canterbury Yes Yes A decision was made to award a 50 per cent. discount to 123 beach chalets. 
			 Carlisle Yes Yes As a result of the flooding which Carlisle suffered in January 2005 it was decided that we would award a 25 per cent. discount to properties which had suffered some flood damage but the residents are still living in the property. The discount will cease when all the work is completed and the property is fully habitable again. There are currently 84 properties in receipt of this discount and the current cost to the authority for the year is 32,465.24. 
			 Chiltern Yes Yes The discount on Second Homes has been reduced from 50 per cent. to 10 per cent. with effect from 1 April 2005 and applies across the whole of the district. 
			 Copeland Yes Yes 50 per cent. discount allowed on beach chalets where there is no mains water or electricity. 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire UA Yes Yes As 50 per cent. discount on a new property which is in the course of construction and for which a completion notice has been served, which has become part occupied, for a maximum period of 12 months or until the property is substantially completed, whichever is the sooner. 
			 Exeter Yes Yes We have given discounts to persons who were in receipt of disablement reduction on 31 March 2004 and whose entitlement would cease due to the High Court decision in the Sandwell case. The discount is equivalent to the property being assessed as if it were in the council tax band below the actual band, ie it is exactly equivalent to the disablement reduction they would otherwise have received. 
			 Greenwich Yes No  
			 Herefordshire UA Yes Yes Applications in respect of properties affected by floodingup to 100 per cent. Applications in respect of empty properties owned by registered social landlordsup to 50 per cent. Applications regarding empty properties owned by registered social landlords, used as guest accommodation in warden controlled complexesup to 50 per cent. Applications in respect of unoccupied almshouses; unfurnishedup to 50 per cent.; furnishedup to 40 per cent. Applications in respect of properties that are no-one's sole or main residence where access is restricted; unfurnishedup to 50 per cent.; furnishedup to 40 per cent. 
			 Horsham Yes Yes Locally defined discounts (applicable from 1 April 2004). Any property where a disabled resident has either a room, or part of a room (other than a bedroom) set aside to accommodate a disabled resident's bed or other equipment which is of major importance to the disabled resident may be entitled to 15 per cent. discount. A property where a room houses braille or similar communications equipment for the use of a visually impaired resident may be entitled to 15 per cent. discount. Any property that is unoccupied following fire, flood or storm damage and requires remedial works to render it fit for re-habitation may be entitled to 100 per cent. exemption. 
			 Kingston upon Hull UA Yes Yes A reserve forces discount is offered to single occupiers. There is currently only one person claiming this discount. 
			 Leicester UA Yes Yes A 50 per cent. charge is levied on furnished but unoccupied property for the first six months of the property falling into this category. After six months, the discount is reduced to 10 per cent. 
			 Malvern Hills Yes Yes A 15 per cent. discount (in addition to the 10 per cent. statutory minimum) has been granted in respect of 45 furnished wooden chalets on a site which is subject to flooding and can only be occupied for 8 months of the year. 
			 North Norfolk Yes Yes  
			 Oswestry Yes Yes  
			 Purbeck Yes Yes Charge on furnished unoccupied dwelling reduced to 50 per cent. (from 90 per cent.) having regard to particular circumstances of the individual circumstances. 
			 South Hams Yes Yes The council has, to date, only used this power on one occasionto grant relief to a second home which is adapted for and is visited by a disabled child. The council will use this power during the remainder of the year if an appropriate circumstance occurs. 
			 South Lakeland Yes Yes A 50 per cent. council tax discount is awarded to properties located in the vicinity of a beach which are used as beach huts or beach chalets which fall within Valuation Band A in the council tax valuation list and which do not fall within properties prescribed under Class A of the (Prescribed Classes of Dwellings)(England) Regulations 2003. 
			 South Ribble Yes No  
			 Waveney Yes Yes  
			 Welwyn Hatfield Yes Yes This applies to a local discount awarded on an empty property that has experienced problems with chalk mines. 
			 Wigan No Yes On an individual case basis only and considering each application on its own merit. 
			 Wirral Yes Yes Womens Refuge. Refuge + 2 Flats. 50 per cent. Disc 
			 Wycombe No Yes The authority will consider individual claims for relief on the grounds of hardship. This is not confined to strict financial hardship All relevant factors affecting the ability of the council tax payer to meet its liability for council tax should be taken into account.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) average percentage rise and I cash rise was in average band D outturn council tax bills from 2005-06 to 2006-07 in parished areas in England.

Phil Woolas: It is not possible to provide information on the average band D council tax in parished areas because the necessary informationa breakdown of principal authorities' council tax requirements between parished and non-parished areasis not collected from local authorities and could not be reliably estimated from other sources.

Departmental Expenditure

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department spent on  (a) external room hire and  (b) conference exhibition stands in the last year for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: The costs for external room hire incurred by the Department are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	In the last financial year (2005-06) the Department spent 303,000 on our corporate attendance at 60 external conferences and events covering core areas of the Department's policy remit. Events included the Local Government Association annual conference, the Social Housing exhibition, the national Fire Safety conference, the CIH Lettings and Homelessness conference, and the Young People Now annual conference.

Departmental Publications and Staff

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  if she will place in the Library a copy of each edition of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's International Planning Newsletter;
	(2)  how many full-time equivalent staff work in her Department's International Planning Division.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 25 October 2006,  Official Report, column 1931W.

Developed Land: Definition

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes were made to the definition of previously-developed land in  (a) 2000 and  (b) 2001.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 8 November 2006,  Official Report, column 1576W.

Energy Performance Certificates

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in what ways a home seller will be requested to update an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) if material changes are made to a property after an original EPC is produced.

Yvette Cooper: The home information pack regulations will require that an energy performance certificate included in a home information pack is no older than three months when the property is first marketed for sale. There is no requirement to update an energy performance certificate if material changes are made to a property after an original energy performance certificate is produced. A home seller may elect to update the energy performance certificate of their own accord where material alterations have been carried out that make the building more attractive to prospective purchasers.

EU Directive 2002/91/EC

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when her Department plans to publish  (a) a regulatory impact assessment and  (b) a consultation paper on the implementation of EU Directive 2002/91/EC.

Yvette Cooper: The technical provisions in articles 3 to 6 of EU Directive 2002/91/EC, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, were implemented through an amendment of the Building Regulations and a copy of the final regulatory impact assessment associated with this amendment was placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament in May 2006.
	There is a three-year derogation period within the directive to apply fully the procedural provisions in articles 7 to 10. We intend to publish details of the proposed implementation and a regulatory impact assessment in due course.
	The formal ODPM consultation Proposals for amending Part L of the Building Regulations and implementing the EPBD was published in July 2004. The written statement to the House of Commons on 14 June, announced a further consultation on widening the application of the display requirements in article 7(3) to all public and private sector buildings. Since then my Department has continued to liaise with key stakeholders to finalise details of implementation.

Faith Communities

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department funds the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund.

Phil Woolas: I can confirm that the Department for Communities and Local Government does fund the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund.

Fire and Resilience Directorate

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff are to be removed from the establishment of divisions forming the Fire and Resilience Directorate of her Department in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08; and what percentage of total employees per division these figures represent.

Angela Smith: The Fire and Resilience Directorate is integrating and rationalising the work of two former directorates (the Civil Resilience Directorate and the Fire and Rescue Service Directorate). This is part of an ongoing process within the Department and is not exclusive to the Fire and Resilience Directorate. The directorate is seeking to reduce its administrative budget (pay and non-pay costs) in this financial year. It has not yet been possible to identify the precise number of posts as this is dependent on more detailed consideration of future policy and operational needs, and we estimate that this will affect approximately 24 posts. The following table sets out the percentage of staff affected per division.
	For next year, work is being progressed to review priorities and the resourcing required.
	
		
			  Fire and Resilience Directoratetotal staff( 1)  = 198 
			   Per division 
			  Administration budget  Staff number  Estimated reduction  Percentage 
			 Central Support Team 32 2 6.2 
			 Fire and Rescue Service Development Team 36 6 16.6 
			 Fire and Resilience Policy Team 22 1 4.5 
			 Regional Resilience and Emergency Response 4 0  
			 Research and Statistics 41 0  
			 HM Fire Service Inspectorate 27 7 25.4 
			 Fire and Resilience Programme 36 8 22.2 
			 Total 198 24 12.1 
			 (1 )Total staff includes: permanent civil servants personnel seconded from the fire and rescue service and Local Government casual and agency staff.

Fire Service

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the guidance on working time regulations and firefighters.

Angela Smith: Guidance on working time regulations was issued to the fire and rescue service in April 2004. Copies of the guidance will be placed in the Library.

Home Information Packs

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors on home information packs since her decision to make home condition reports voluntary.

Yvette Cooper: The Department has had an extensive dialogue with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) throughout the development of the HIPs programme. Since the July announcement on HIPs there has been a substantial amount of correspondence with Ministers and officials as well as meetings and telephone conversations.

Housing

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate has she made of the  (a) highest,  (b) lowest,  (c) median and  (d) mean fees to be charged by local authorities to landlords as part of the new licensing scheme for houses in multiple occupation.

Yvette Cooper: No estimate has been made of the highest, lowest, median and mean fees to be charged by local authorities to landlords as part of the new licensing scheme for houses in multiple occupation. The Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) for licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation which was published in February 2006 estimated that the average one off fee for mandatory licensing would be approximately 500 for the five-year licence. The estimate was based on a sample survey of local housing authorities carried out in December 2005.

Housing

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment the Government have made of the  (a) merits and  (b) enforceability of covenants on new homes banning cats and dogs as pets in special protection areas.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 8 November 2006,  Official Report, column 1571W to the hon. Member for Hammersmith and Fulham (Mr. Hands).

Lancashire County Council

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions she has had with Lancashire county council on the prospect of becoming a unitary authority.

Phil Woolas: The Secretary of State has not had any such recent discussions with Lancashire county council.

Land Use Databases

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the National Land Use Database typology of land or buildings currently in use where it is known there is a potential for redevelopment (but the sites do not have any plan allocation or planning permission) includes  (a) gardens and  (b) open spaces surrounding existing residential properties.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 8 November 2006,  Official Report, column 1572W.

Leasehold Reform Act

John Butterfill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the practice by freeholders of excluding the curtilage, including associated parking and garaging, from enfranchised properties on the operation of the Leasehold Reform Act 2002.

Yvette Cooper: The Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 as amended by the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 provides for enfranchising leaseholders to acquire rights in respect of appurtenant property. This includes any garage, outhouse, garden or yards whether or not let under a separate lease together with other property which the leaseholders may be entitled to use jointly.
	No concerns about the workability of these provisions have been raised with my Department and therefore no assessment has been made.

Local Government Pensions

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which non-local authority employers are members of the local government pension scheme.

Phil Woolas: The range of non-local authority employers participating in the local government pension scheme include, for example, schools, colleges and universities (non teaching staff), charities and voluntary bodies, housing bodies and private sector companies delivering local authority type services under contract.
	Individual local government pension scheme administering authorities will have details of the non-local authority employers who participate within their funds.

Local Government Pensions

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what obligations local authorities have to fund a liability or shortfall from non-local authority members of the local government pension scheme.

Phil Woolas: All employers participating in the local government pension scheme are required to pay contributions in respect of their employees who are members of the scheme and meet the costs of their liabilities. Their contribution rate is set by each administering authority's fund actuary following actuarial valuations of its pension fund, every three years. A common rate for all employers in the fund is set, with adjustments to reflect individual employers' circumstances.
	The scheme regulations admitting non-local authority members contain specific provisions for dealing with deficits when their employer leaves the scheme and to safeguard the fund and its other employers should they default.

Local Government Restructuring

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities  (a) she,  (b) her Ministers and  (c) her staff have met to discuss local government restructuring since 1 July 2006.

Phil Woolas: Ministers and civil servants from my Department have held numerous meetings with most local authorities at which a range of topics have been discussed and may have included, on occasion, local government reorganisation.

Local Government Restructuring

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether a full council is required to ratify the decision of a local authority to bid for unitary status under the local government White Paper proposals.

Phil Woolas: A proposal for future unitary structures must be submitted by a council or a group of two or more councils. Whether the decision to submit a proposal requires a decision by full council is a matter for individual authorities, having regard to the governance arrangements that they have adopted.

Maps

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether Ordnance Survey maps published before 1936 are now out of copyright.

Angela Smith: Yes.
	Ordnance Survey maps printed and published before 1936 are out of copyright.

Muslim Groups

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) dates and  (b) locations have been of the meetings of the Muslim Forum Against Islamophobia and Extremism; and what the forward work plan is for this group.

Phil Woolas: Locally organised Forums Against Extremism and Islamophobia are a recommendation from the Preventing Extremism Together Working Groups report, published in November 2005.
	To date four such forums have been established with Department for Communities and Local Government support.
	Leicesterfirst meeting 18 June, second meeting 29 October
	Redbridgefirst meeting 24 June, second meeting 3 November
	Dudleyfirst meeting 3 July
	Blackburnfirst meeting 5 September
	The objective of the forums is to create sustainable local groups which will:
	seek to understand the causes and extent of the harm caused to the Muslim and wider community by extremism and Islamaphobia in their areas
	encourage grass route resistance to extremist messages and
	work with local partners as appropriate to take action to reduce it.
	It is expected that further forums will be established and the local government White Paper encourages local authorities to work with their Muslim communities to facilitate forums in their areas as a means of tackling extremism and Islamaphobia.

Muslim Groups

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of the initiative by Bradford council of mosques to develop and test educational materials to teach citizens in Madrassas; whether this project will be available across England; and what funding her Department provided to the project.

Phil Woolas: The Department has provided 40,000 of funding to this project for rollout across Bradford. This was awarded on the basis of the evaluation report submitted at the end of the 2005-06 financial year. This evaluation report set out how the project had met its objectives as defined in the original project proposal. Assessment of the project has also been made by colleagues in Government Office Yorkshire and Humber who have a close working relationship with the project. A decision on whether to roll the project out across the country will be taken after an assessment of this current stage of roll out.

Pay

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the effective date is for pay awards to her Department's staff; and what the actual implementation date was in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: holding answer 5 December 2006
	Effective dates for pay awards for senior civil servants (SCS) and non-SCS staff in the Department for Communities and Local Government are 1 April and 1 August, respectively. In the last five years:
	SCS pay awards have generally been paid in July.
	Some payments have been made to non-SCS staff in August and remaining awards paid in November. The exception was the 2003 award, when remaining awards were paid in February 2004.
	Awards are backdated to the effective dates.

Population Statistics

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's latest estimates are of  (a) net migration and  (b) household growth in each Government office region in England in each of the next 20 years.

Yvette Cooper: The latest estimates of net migration by Government office region were published by the Office for National Statistics as part of the 2004 based Subnational Population Projections. The table is available at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_population/2004_BasedProj/18_Migration_summaries_LAs.xls
	The latest estimates of household growth are the 2003 based household projections that were published by DCLG. These are available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1002882PressNoticeID=2097
	The Department for Communities and Local Government plans to produce updated household projections that take account of the 2004 based subnational population projections.

Recycling

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been paid to local authorities to fund their additional responsibilities for recycling televisions and monitors containing cathode ray tubes; what estimate she has made of the annual amount required to fund this recycling; and what proportion of the total increase of costs to local authorities the extra funding represents.

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
	The English local authorities received an interim payment is 12.269 million as part of the Local Government Settlement for 2006-07 to cover the treatment of separately collected CRTs and fluorescent tubes from 13 August 2005 to 1 June 2006, and ODS equipment from 1 April 2006 until 1 June 2006. They have been asked to provide details of what further costs are being incurred to allow us to make a reasonable assessment of what further funding is requireduntil producers become responsible for these costs under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations, which we expect to lay before the House shortly.

Regional Spatial Strategies

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable is for the Government's  (a) amendment and  (b) ratification of each Regional Spatial Strategy.

Yvette Cooper: The following timetable sets out the Secretary of State's current plans for publication of proposed changes and the issue of final Regional Spatial Strategies in each of the eight English Regions outside London.
	
		
			   Proposed changes  Issue of final RSS 
			 North East January 2007 June 2007 
			 North West August 2007 December 2007 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside April 2007 October 2007 
			 East Midlands November 2007 May 2008 
			 West Midlands (Phase 1) July 2007 November 2007 
			 West Midlands (Phase 2) August 2008 January 2009 
			 East of England December 2006 May 2007 
			 South East October 2007 March 2008 
			 South West February 2008 June 2008

Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with whom within the Fire and Resilience Directorate responsibility for the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 will lie.

Angela Smith: Ongoing policy responsibility for the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 will transfer from the Fire and Rescue Service Development Division to the Fire and Resilience Policy Division in January 2007.

Renewable Energy

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what steps the Department has taken since the written ministerial statement of 8 June 2006 on Planning Policy Statement 22 to promote the wider uptake by local planning authorities of planning policies requiring on-site renewable energy;
	(2)  what steps her Department is taking to ensure that its inspectors promote planning policies requiring a minimum target for on site renewable energy in all new developments;
	(3)  how many local planning authorities have implemented planning policies requiring on site renewable energy in new developments;
	(4)  what steps her Department is taking to ensure that all local and regional planning authorities adopt planning policies requiring on-site renewables in new developments as set out in the written ministerial statement of 8 June 2006.

Yvette Cooper: Officials have written to all planning authorities enclosing a copy of my June statement and in doing so underlined that those authorities which had not yet taken steps to include such policies in their plans should do so at the next available opportunity. Government offices are active in their regions in encouraging regional planning bodies and planning authorities to bring forward regional spatial strategies and local development documents in line with national policies.
	All inspectors who will undertake the examination of development plan documents have had the statement drawn to their attention and made aware of the importance placed by Government on the use of on-site renewable energy. An inspector will check that the planning authority has prepared the development plan document legally and test whether it is 'sound'. In doing so, the inspector will consider whether the document is consistent with national planning policy. After the examination, the inspector will produce a report with recommendations which will be binding on the authority. Where necessary, the report will set out precise recommendations for how the document must be changed.
	All inspectors are familiar with government planning policies, including on renewable energy and their work is subject to periodic monitoring by the Planning Inspectorate.
	My June statement confirmed that in the most recent plans scrutinised to-date there had been increasing take-up of the policy in PPS22 to secure the use of on-site renewables in new developments. The statement provided the details of where the review could be viewed on the communities website. Subsequently, the Town and Country Planning Association published their own survey highlighting an impressive surge in on-site renewable energy policies. This suggested that more than 170 local authorities were working up policies to require developers to generate clean, safe energy on-site in new developments.

Renewable Energy

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate her Department has made of the number of publicly funded buildings likely to be built in the next 12 months that will incorporate  (a) solar photovoltaics and  (b) other small renewable energy systems.

Yvette Cooper: No estimate or records are held centrally on the number of publicly funded buildings to be constructed which incorporate solar photovoltaics or other small renewable energy systems. The Government expect all planning authorities to include policies in their development plans that require a percentage of the energy in new developments to come from on-site renewables.

Renewable Energy

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whether it is the policy of the Department's inspectors to write planning policies requiring on-site renewable energy targets into Local Development Frameworks;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the extent to which planning inspectors are applying  (a) PPS22 and  (b) the requirement for on-site renewable energy in new developments.

Yvette Cooper: Officials have written to all planning authorities enclosing a copy of my June statement and hi doing so underlined that those authorities which had not yet taken steps to include such policies in their plans should do so at the next available opportunity. Government Offices are active in their regions in encouraging regional planning bodies and planning authorities to bring forward regional spatial strategies and local development documents in line with national policies.
	All Inspectors who will undertake the examination of development plan documents have had the statement drawn to their attention and made aware of the importance placed by Government on the use of on-site renewable energy. An Inspector will check that the planning authority has prepared the development plan document legally and test whether it is 'sound'. In doing so, the Inspector will consider whether the document is consistent with national planning policy. After the examination, the Inspector will produce a report with recommendations which will be binding on the authority. Where necessary, the report will set out precise recommendations for how the document must be changed. All Inspectors are familiar with government planning policies, including on renewable energy and their work is subject to periodic monitoring by the Planning Inspectorate.
	My June statement confirmed that in the most recent plans scrutinised to-date there had been increasing take-up of the policy in PPS22 to secure the use of on-site renewables in new developments. The statement provided the details of where the review could be viewed on the Communities website. Subsequently, the Town and Country Planning Association published their own survey highlighting an impressive surge in on-site renewable energy policies. This suggested that more than 170 local authorities were working up policies to require developers to generate clean, safe energy on-site in new developments.

Research Reports

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library copies of the research reports  (a) Perceptions of Privacy and Density in Housing and  (b) Valuing the Benefits of Undeveloped Land commissioned by her Department.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 8 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 1569W and 1572W. Copies of both these reports were placed in the Library of the House at that time.

Standards Board

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many complaints have been upheld by the Adjudication Panel after being referred by the Standards Board in each year since 2001;
	(2)  how many complaints against elected members of  (a) local authorities and  (b) parish councils in each year between 2001 and 2006 are outstanding at the Adjudication Panel following referral by the Standards Board;
	(3)  how many complaints against elected members of  (a) local authorities and  (b) parish councils referred to the Adjudication Panel by the Standards Board concerned the failure to declare a (i) non-financial interest and (ii) personal interest in each year since its creation;
	(4)  how many complaints against elected members of  (a) local authorities and  (b) parish councils referred to the Adjudication Panel by the Standards Board have taken longer than 12 months to reach a decision in each year since its creation;
	(5)  how many complaints have been received by the Standards Board in each year since 2001;
	(6)  how many complaints have been referred to the Adjudication Panel by the Standards Board in each year since its creation.

Phil Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Banbury, (Tony Baldry) on 28 November 2006,  Official Report, column 536-538W.

Tablighi Jamaat

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the influence of Tablighi Jamaat on community cohesion in England; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: holding answer 28 November 2006
	No specific assessment has been made on the influence of Tablighi Jamaat, or of other faith organisations, on community cohesion in England.

Valuation Office Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of domestic properties in England with dwellinghouse data are classified by the Valuation Office Agency with a dwellinghouse code of  (a) Heating Y and  (b) Heating N.

Phil Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 6 November 2006,  Official Report, column 900W.

Valuation Office Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many domestic properties in England are classified by the Valuation Office Agency with a dwellinghouse code of FC.

Phil Woolas: 963,371 (as at 3 November 2006).

Valuation Office Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the contract between the Valuation Office Agency and Cole Layer Trumble.

Phil Woolas: No such contract exists.

Valuation Office Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what use the Valuation Office Agency makes of the techniques of  (a) variography and  (b) similarity matrices for valuation purposes.

Phil Woolas: None.

Valuation Office Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) property,  (b) geo-spatial and  (c) geo-demographic attributes are covered by the Valuation Office Agency's dwelling house code of (i) WK: Other building/feature and (ii) EF: Functional/economic factor.

Phil Woolas: The Valuation Office Agency's code of WK can be used to flag the existence of a building occupied together with a dwelling, or a feature associated with a dwelling, that might have value significance but is not covered by any other of the value significant codes.
	The code EF can be used to flag any functional or economic factor associated with a dwelling that might have value significance.

Valuation Office Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how the Valuation Office Agency gathers data for the property attribute of number of bathrooms to use in its multiple regression analysis within its computer assisted mass appraisal system.

Phil Woolas: Data was initially gathered from digitisation of the VGA's paper-based records and will continue to be collected, as circumstances allow, for new or altered properties as part of its ongoing statutory responsibility to maintain the current council tax valuation lists.

Valuation Office Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether  (a) access to on-street parking spaces and  (b) the number of (i) garage spaces and (ii) off-street parking spaces are (A) value significant and (B) dwellinghouse code property attributes in the Valuation Office Agency's automated valuation model.

Phil Woolas: The  (a) existence of on-street parking and  (b) number of (i) garage spaces and (ii) off-street parking spaces (A) may be value significant and (B) can be captured as property attribute codes for possible use within the Valuation Office Agency's automated valuation model.

Valuation Office Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many domestic properties in England are classified by the Valuation Office Agency with a dwellinghouse code of  (a) Conservatory Type: D,  (b) Conservatory Type: S,  (c) Conservatory Type: G and  (d) Conservatory Type: U.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Domestic propertiesEngland 
			   Conservatory type dwellinghouse code  Number 
			 (a) D 86,811 
			 (b) S 62,411 
			 (c) G 43,174 
			 (d) U 522,433 
			  Note: As at 3 November 2006.

Volunteering

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the impact of Government policies on the availability of early-retired people to assist the voluntary sector in future years; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Miliband: I have been asked to reply. 
	The Government's Opportunity Age strategy, published in March 2005 and available online at www.dwp.gov.uk/opportunity_age, sets out a number of programmes to enable older people to play a full and active role in society, including ensuring that they have access to volunteering opportunities locally. Copies have been placed in the Library for the reference of Members.
	While no specific information is collected on the availability of early-retired people to assist the voluntary sector, data from the 2005 Citizenship Survey shows that 30 per cent. of those aged 50 to 64 volunteered for a group, club or organisation at least once a month, making this age group among the most active of all volunteers. Specific advice on volunteering opportunities in retirement for the over 50s is available on the Directgov website at:
	www.directgov.gov.uk/Over50s/RetirementAndPensions/OpportunitiesInRetirement/fs/en

Waste Disposal: Charging

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations her Department has received advocating the introduction of variable rate charging for domestic rubbish.

Phil Woolas: Local taxation issues are being considered as part of Sir Michael Lyons' inquiry into local government funding.

PRIME MINISTER

Afghanistan

Julian Lewis: To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effects of the suppression of the Afghan poppy trade on the level of insurgency in that country.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the press conference I held with President Hamid Karzai on 20 November 2006. A transcript of this is available on the No. 10 website and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Consultants

John Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister which 10 consultancy fees charged to his Office since May 1997 were the most expensive.

Tony Blair: For these purposes my Office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster, North (Edward Miliband), Cabinet Office today.

Departmental Staff

John Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister how many temporary employees were contracted to work in No. 10 Downing street in 2005-06; and what the total cost of such employees was in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 1997-98.

Tony Blair: For these purposes my Office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster North (Edward Miliband), the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office today.

Departmental Studies

John Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister which studies have been commissioned by his Office from  (a) external agencies,  (b) companies,  (c) academics and  (d) individuals in 2006.

Tony Blair: For these purposes my Office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster North (Edward Miliband), the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office today.

Procurement Projects

John Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister what the 20 largest procurement projects initiated by his Department since May 1997 were; what the  (a) original budget,  (b) cost to date and  (c) consultancy fees were; and what the final cost was of each project which has been completed.

Tony Blair: For these purposes my Office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster North (Edward Miliband), the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office today.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report Afghanistan's Drug Industry; and what effect she expects this report to have on the counter-narcotics benchmark in the London Compact.

Geoff Hoon: The UN Office on Drugs and Crime's (UNODC) Report highlights the impacts of the opium economy on Afghanistan's economy, society and political institutions. It underscores the need for a balanced approach to addressing the problem. The Afghan Government's National Drug Control Strategy (NDCS) with its four priorities of targeting the trafficker, strengthening livelihoods, reducing demand and developing effective institutions, represents a balanced approach. The NDCS provides a framework for meeting the Compact benchmarks. The UK and the international community must continue to support the Afghan Government to sharpen the delivery of their strategy so that progress towards the Compact benchmarks continues.

Bolivia and Venezuela

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of  (a) political freedom,  (b) media freedom and  (c) freedom of assembly in (i) Bolivia and (ii) Venezuela.

Geoff Hoon: We follow events closely in Bolivia through our embassy in La Paz and with our EU partners. We welcomed the democratic election of the Government of President Morales last December, and recognise the clear mandate for change this signalled. Bolivia faces many challenges as it approaches this process of change and we are aware of opposition within Bolivia to some of Morales' policies. It is important that political and economic reforms fully respect the democratic process. We hope that all parties will work together, maintaining an open and constructive dialogue, to ensure the future prosperity of Bolivia within a democratic system. We are not aware of significant constraints on media freedom or the freedom of assembly in Bolivia. We will continue to monitor the situation. Where we have specific concerns about political freedom, media freedom and freedom of assembly, we will make representations to the Bolivian Government.
	We also monitor developments in Venezuela. We continue to encourage the Venezuelan Government, both bilaterally and through the EU, to ensure that the right to political freedom and freedom of assembly is fully respected. The Bolivarian Constitution protects the right of those working in the public sector to such freedoms, free from pressure to support a particular party or person. Embracing political pluralism, also enshrined in the Constitution, is the best path to full protection of political freedom. While the Venezuelan media generally has the freedom to act without undue interference, a number of international organisations have expressed concern recently about the law on social responsibility in radio and television. Some elements of the law were undoubtedly necessary, but we share concerns that the law also gives the state greater powers to control the Venezuelan media. We also have concerns relating to the draft international co-operation law, which governs the activities of non-governmental organisations, and have made representations to the Venezuelan Government, with our EU colleagues.

Chinese Executions

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on the recent execution of the three religious leaders Mr. Xu Shuangfu, Mr. Li Maoxing and Mr. Wang Jun in China in October; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The Government understands that Xu Shuangfu, Li Maoxing and Wang Jun were executed in China on 22 November 2006 and that their families and lawyers were notified of their execution on 29 November 2006. The Chinese Government have stated that they were executed for criminal activities, not their religious beliefs. The Government do not take a position on the nature of the Three Grades organisation. We are concerned at reports that the defendants were subjected to torture and that the trial did not respect international fair trial standards. We continue to lobby the Chinese Government to limit, and ultimately abolish, its use of the death penalty, to combat torture and to meet international fair trial standards. Most recently, my noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor raised the death penalty with the Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference on 24 October 2006.

Delivering as One: UN Programme

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the United Nations programme of reform Delivering as One; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Government strongly support the recommendations put forward by the United Nations High Level Panel report, Delivering as One. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequerin his personal capacityplayed an active role on the panel and the final report provides a vision for a coherent and reinvigorated UN at the centre of the international development system. The Government also welcome the recommendations on environment and humanitarian assistance activities. These recommendations are ambitious yet realistic.
	The report is consistent with UK and EU efforts to promote management and administrative reform in the UN system including the implementation of modern business practices.
	The Government look forward to the formal presentation of the report to the United Nations General Assembly by the Secretary-General, and welcomes the enthusiasm from many developing countries for an improved UN effort at country level.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on the elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and whether she has seen evidence indicating vote-tampering or other electoral irregularities.

Ian McCartney: Both polling days in the Democratic Republic of Congo were generally well conducted under the guidance of the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) with significant international support. Reports from Congolese and international observer missions, such as the Carter Centre and the European Union, identified some isolated technical problems and irregularities in the process. These irregularities included inflation of turnout and discrepancies between votes cast and scores published in some constituencies. However, their reports indicate that both presidential candidates benefited and that these irregularities had no significant effect on overall results. We share the observer missions' belief that the results published by the CEI and endorsed by the Supreme Court of Justice on 27 November are credible and reflect the will of the Congolese people.

Extradition

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information the Department collects on  (a) extradition treaties between other nations and  (b) international arrest warrants affecting UK citizens.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not collect information on extradition treaties between other states but obtains relevant information as the need arises. Nor does it collect information on international circulations of UK citizens wanted for criminal offences in third countries. This is the responsibility of the Serious Organised Crime Agency.

French Troop Deployment

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will seek from her French counterpart information on the reasons for recent French troop redeployments in  (a) the Central African Republic and  (b) Chad.

Ian McCartney: We are seriously concerned about rising instability in both Chad and the Central African Republic and are in close touch with the French and other Governments about restoring stability to the region.
	The French military have long-standing military ties with both Chad and the Central African Republic. The French Government have said in public statements that the recent activity by French troops is to assist the Governments of Chad and the Central African Republic to restore stability in those countries.

General Salah Abdallah

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what programme of meetings and events was organised for General Salah Abdallah (also known as Al Ghosh) on each of the two occasions he visited the UK in 2006.

Ian McCartney: General Salah Abdallah Al Ghosh came to the UK for urgent medical treatment. The Government did not organise any programme of meetings or events during either visit.
	However, while he was here, UK officials took the opportunity to discuss Darfur with him.

Hezbollah

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the threat posed to regional stability by Hezbollah.

Kim Howells: Hezbollah poses a serious threat to regional stability. The major outbreak of hostilities this summer between Israel and Hezbollah started on 12 July 2006 when Hezbollah launched an attack into Israeli territory and kidnapped two Israeli soldiers. The repercussions of Lebanon's instability continues to be felt throughout the region. Hezbollah organised street demonstrations in the centre of Beirut are adding to Lebanon's political instability, with implications for the region as a whole.

Horn of Africa

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment her Department has made of the security situation on the Somalia and Ethiopia border; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to the right hon. Member for Richmond, Yorks (Mr. Hague) on 27 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 469-70W.

Iran

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on Iran's referral to the Security Council.

Kim Howells: We remain deeply concerned by Iran's nuclear programme. Iran has not met the requirements set out in successive Resolutions of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, the statement by the President of the UN Security Council on 30 March 2006, and in Security Council Resolution 1696 of 31 July 2006. These include the requirement that Iran should co-operate fully with the IAEA and should fully suspend all uranium enrichment related and reprocessing activities. We are determined that Iran should comply fully with its obligations. E3+3 Foreign Ministers met in London on 6 October 2006 and agreed that Iran's failure to address IAEA Board and Security Council resolution, and take the steps that would enable a return to negotiations, leaves no option but to seek a new Security Council resolution adopting measures under Article 41 of the UN Charter. We are now discussing a draft with other members of the Security Council.

Iran

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the UK is taking to ensure Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We are deeply concerned by Iran's nuclear programme. We remain committed to a negotiated solution, and regret that Iran has not taken the steps that would enable negotiations to begin on the basis of the proposals presented in June by Javier Solana on behalf of the E3+3 (UK, France, Germany + US, Russia, China). These proposals would form the basis of a long-term agreement: they offer Iran everything it needs to develop a modern civil nuclear power industry as well as political and economic benefits while meeting international concerns.
	We are determined that Iran should comply fully with its obligations. E3+3 Foreign Ministers met in London on 6 October 2006 and agreed that Iran's failure to take the steps required by International Atomic Energy Agency Board and Security Council resolutions leaves no option but to seek a new Security Council resolution adopting measures under Article 41 of the UN Charter. We are now discussing a draft with other members of the Security Council.
	The E3+3's proposals remain on the table and we continue to urge Iran to take the positive path.

Iran

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the threat posed to regional security of Iran's nuclear programme.

Kim Howells: The proliferation of nuclear weapons in the Middle East would pose a serious threat to the region's stability and security.
	The most recent report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General, Dr Mohammed El-Baradei, makes clear that Iran is not co-operating fully with the IAEA, and has not taken the steps required by the IAEA Board of Governors and the United Nations Security Council. These are essential to build confidence that the intentions of Iran's nuclear programme are exclusively peaceful. In particular, Iran has not met the requirement to suspend all uranium enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, and indeed in October began operating a second 164- centrifuge cascade.
	We continue to urge Iran to comply fully with IAEA Board and UN Security Council resolutions and to take the steps that would enable negotiations to begin on the basis of the proposals presented in June by Javier Solana on behalf of the E3+3 (UK, France, Germany + US, Russia, China). Iran should be in no doubt that if it does not meet its obligations, the Security Council will respond. In the light of Iran's failure to take the steps required in resolution 1696 of 31 July 2006, we are presently discussing a new draft Security Council resolution that would impose measures under Article 41 of the UN Charter.

Joint Ministerial Committee on Europe

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times the Joint Ministerial Committee on Europe has met in  (a) 2006 and  (b) the last five years; and what the format was of each meeting.

Geoff Hoon: The Joint Ministerial Committee on Europe has met five times in 2006. During the last five years the Committee has met as follows:
	2001 2 (the committee was established in the autumn)
	2002 4
	2003 4
	2004 11
	2005 9
	The committee is made up of the following Ministers:
	Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Chair)
	Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State
	Chancellor of the Exchequer
	Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal
	Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
	Secretary of State for the Home Department
	Secretary of State for Health
	Secretary of State for Media Culture and Sport
	Minister for the Cabinet Office and for Social Exclusion (and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster)
	Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Secretary of State for Wales
	Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council
	Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor
	Secretary of State for International Development
	Secretary of State for Education and Skills
	Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Minister for Women
	Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
	Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	Secretary of State for Defence
	Secretary of State for Transport and Secretary of State for Scotland
	Minister without Portfolio and Labour Party Chair
	Attorney General
	Minister for Europe
	First Minister, Scottish Executive
	Deputy First Minister and Minister for Justice, Scottish Executive
	First Minister, Welsh Assembly Government
	Other Ministers of the Scottish Executive and Welsh Assembly Government may be invited to attend as necessary.

Maldives

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether she has received reports of  (a) threats and incarceration of those who oppose the Government by peaceful means and  (b) other anti-democratic abuses in the Maldives; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We are aware of reports that a number of members and supporters of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) have been detained prior to and following 10 November, the date of a political rally they planned but then cancelled. We have and continue to receive such reports directly from Maldives and through our high commission in Colombo, also accredited to Maldives. We remain concerned about the Government's approach toward the opposition. We strongly support democratic reforms in Maldives and freedom of association and expression are essential to an inclusive reform process.
	Our British high commissioner in Colombo has been in direct contact with the Maldivian Government and senior MDP leaders and has urged both sides to exercise maximum restraint and has emphasised to each their joint responsibility to not endanger the democracy agenda. We continue to underline directly to them the need for open discussions among all political parties on the implementation of the democratisation process and on the promotion of democracy in Maldives. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials did so most recently with Dr. Shaheed, Maldivian Foreign Minister on 1 December. As did our high commissioner during his visit to Mal on 3 December when he raised our concerns with President Gayoom and addressed the National Council of the MDP.

Nuclear Disarmament

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which United Nations General Assembly Resolutions on nuclear disarmament were supported by the United Kingdom at its 61(st) session.

Kim Howells: The UK supported the Japanese resolution entitled Renewed determination toward the total elimination of nuclear weapons. We also voted in favour of a further 40 resolutions supporting a wide range of issues from the Chemical Weapons Convention to the Arms Trade Treaty of which we were a leading proponent.

Romania and Bulgaria

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions her Department has held with the Home Office on the restrictions on migrant workers from Bulgaria and Romania; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: Home Office Ministers and I discussed the decision to open gradually the UK labour market to workers from Bulgaria and Romania in the Asylum and Migration Cabinet Committee chaired by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. The committee was supported by a ministerial working group and by official level working groups. I refer my right hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement made to the House on 24 October 2006,  Official Report, columns 82-84WS, by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on the decision to restrict access to the UK labour market for workers from Romania and Bulgaria.

Rwanda: Arrest Warrants

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will take steps to bring before the next meeting of EU Foreign Ministers the matter of the issue of arrest warrants by French judicial authorities for nine associates of the Rwandan President.

Ian McCartney: These warrants are a matter between the French judiciary and the Rwandan Government. We have no current plans to raise it at the European level. All parties are aware of our view that they should avoid long-term harm to their bilateral relations.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with  (a) the UN and  (b) the government of Sudan on the introduction of peace-keeping forces into the East of the country.

Ian McCartney: The Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement was signed by the Government of Sudan and the Eastern Front in Asmara on 14 October. The UK warmly welcomes the Agreement and we hope it will be the basis for lasting peace and security in eastern Sudan; and call on the parties to continue to work together to achieve this. The process was discussed in the margins of the UN General Assembly in September in the course of reviewing peace and security throughout the country.
	Following the signature of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) maintained a presence in eastern Sudan to monitor the withdrawal of the Sudanese People's Liberation Army from the area. UNMIS withdrew once this process was completed earlier this year.
	Since the signing of the peace agreement there has been no reports of major violence in the area and neither side has requested the introduction of a peace-keeping force. This issue, therefore, is currently not a priority for our discussions with the UN and the Government of National Unity.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures are being put in place to provide greater protection for refugees who have fled to Eastern Chad from Darfur; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: We are very concerned about the protection of Sudanese refugees and the internally displaced in Eastern Chad following the latest rebel offensive. The UK has argued for the need to consider deploying a peace support operation in Eastern Chad.
	The UN has recently sent a team to Chad to consider the need for a UN Mission there. The UN Secretary-General is due to report back to the Security Council later this month.
	We are, meanwhile, pressing the Governments of Sudan and Chad to stop supporting each others' rebels and fulfil their obligations under the Tripoli Agreement. We are monitoring the situation in Chad very closely and are providing 4 million in humanitarian assistance to Chad in 2006. We will consider providing further support to the humanitarian response if required.

Turkey

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with EU counterparts on Turkey's accession to the EU; what representations she has made to EU counterparts on the possible suspension of negotiations with Turkey; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I have regular and frequent discussions with our EU counterparts on Turkey's EU accession process. We remain firmly committed to Turkey's accession to the EU. While recognising that Turkey must fulfil its obligations, we stress to our EU counterparts that Turkey's is a strategically important accession.

Uganda

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on the withdrawal of the Lord's Resistance Army from peace talks with the Ugandan Government; and what assessment she has made of the implications for stability in Uganda.

Ian McCartney: The peace talks are currently in recess for consultations. There were press reports on 29 and 30 November that a spokesman for the Lord's Resistance Army had suspended their participation in further talks. The Government of Uganda has confirmed that they remain committed to the peace process and the mediation team, led by the Government of Southern Sudan, has not indicated that the talks have been suspended. The security situation in northern Uganda has greatly improved since the talks process began and is currently stable.
	This is a complex and challenging peace process. We continue to call on all parties to implement the agreements reached to date and remain focused on securing a peaceful resolution to this long-running conflict.

UK Prisoners Abroad

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial and other support is given to non-government organisations which seek to assist UK prisoners abroad; and in which countries such organisations have representatives.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides financial support for two non-governmental organisations that assist British Nationals in prison abroad: Prisoners Abroad and Reprieve. Prisoners Abroad received core funding of 150,000 in Financial Year (FY) 2004-05, 145,500 in FY 2005-06 and 100,000 in FY 2006-07. We also pay 35,000 per year to Prisoners Abroad for a Human Rights Adviser to be seconded to our Consular Directorate. Prisoners Abroad is a welfare charity which is solely based in the UK and does not have any representatives overseas.
	Reprieve received FCO funding of 20,000 in FY 2005-06 and 30,000 in FY 2006-07. Reprieve provides assistance to British nationals facing execution around the world regardless of guilt or innocence. The FCO provides funding to Reprieve UK, which is based in London. Reprieve has sister organisations in the USA and Australia and UK-based staff travel overseas regularly to work on individual cases.

UK-Burma Trade

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what UK-Burma trade is permitted under Government rules.

Ian McCartney: Under the terms of the EU Common Position on Burma trade in arms and equipment that might be used for internal repression and trade is banned. Some other items are restricted by EU regulations or international conventions with global application. There are no other restrictions on trade.

TREASURY

11 Downing Street

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff are employed at No. 11 Downing Street; and what the  (a) duties,  (b) salaries and  (c) dates of appointment are of each employee.

John Healey: One person manages No.11.

Council of Economic Advisers

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the specific policy areas are of each member of his Council of Economic Advisers.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 18 October 2006,  Official Report, column 1252W.

Council of Economic Advisers

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date each of his Council of Economic Advisers took up their position.

John Healey: Shriti Vadera, Stewart Wood and Michael Jacobs were reappointed to the Council of Economic Advisers on 10 May 2005. Dan Corry was appointed Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers in June 2006. Gavin Kelly was appointed in September 2006.

Documents

David Davis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which internal guidance documents are used in his Department.

John Healey: Guidance on a wide range of issues is available within the Departments and agencies responsible to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
	The guidance documents concerned are not held centrally and the information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Duty Free Allowances

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the European Commission to raise the duty free allowance for bringing goods into the country from outside the EU to 1,000.

Dawn Primarolo: On 28 November, European Finance Ministers agreed to raise the duty free allowance for people returning from outside the EU by air and sea to 430 (290). This doubles the current allowance for all UK travellers returning from third countries. The allowance will be reviewed every four years, providing the opportunity for further increases.

Government Expenditure

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the  (a) total expected Government contribution to (i) the Thames Gateway, (ii) the Olympics in London in 2012 and (iii) London's rail and other infrastructure under the control of Transport for London and  (b) the consequential payments to each devolved administration under the terms of the Barnett Formula in each year of planned expenditure.

Stephen Timms: The Government published their spending plans for the period to 2007-08 in July 2004 and published at that time an updated Statement of Funding Policy explaining the funding arrangements for the devolved administrations. The Government will announce the conclusions of their Comprehensive Spending Review next year and will update the Statement of Funding Policy at that time.

Iraq

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date the Prime Minister gave his written approval for his trip to Iraq on 18 November.

John Healey: Permission was received before the visit.

National Identity Register

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what personal data held by his Department will be entered on to the National Identity Register; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Member the answer I gave him on 29 November 2006,  Official Report, column 728W.

Official Cars

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cars run by his Department were manufactured  (a) in the UK and  (b) abroad.

John Healey: The Government Car and Despatch Agency provides cars and drivers for Treasury Ministers. The Treasury does not own or run any motor vehicles.

Pornography: Children

Si�n James: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much child pornography was seized under section 139(1) of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 in  (a) 2003,  (b) 2004 and  (c) 2005.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs seized the following amounts of child pornography:
	
		
			  Financial year  Number of seizures  Total number of items seized 
			 2002-03 12 37 
			 2003-04 14 110 
			 2004-05 14 386

Private Finance Unit

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many staff work in the Private Finance Unit; and at what grade;
	(2)  what the remit is of the Private Finance Unit; and how its performance is assessed.

John Healey: The team in the Treasury responsible for the private finance initiative contains 11.5 full-time posts, two of which are at senior civil service level. The staff concerned are responsible for market-wide PFI policy including contract standardisation and guidance and value for money and other guidance. Responsibility for the management of specific PFI project rests with departmental PFI units, rather than the Treasury.

Taxation

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what effect on the income generated to the Exchequer has resulted from the new regime for the taxation of loan relationships, derivative contracts and foreign exchange gains and losses since 2002.

Dawn Primarolo: FA 2002, the Loan Relationships and Derivative Contracts legislation incorporating Foreign Exchange, refocused the rules for taxing complex financial transactions to enable them to reflect and respond better to a dynamic and evolving market. At the same time, tax and accounting measures of profits were aligned and structural weaknesses that had given scope for avoidance were addressed. At the time we estimated that avoidance by corporations using schemes involving financial instruments amounted to an Exchequer loss of around 350 million per annum. Given the wide-ranging remit of the FA 2002 changes, we have not been able to isolate the contribution of these rules to the overall increase in CT in the intervening years.

Taxation

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what effect on the income generated to the Exchequer since 2000 has resulted from the  (a) changing of double taxation relief rules to limit the use of mixer companies to shelter low taxed foreign profits from UK tax and  (b) new accounting rules for apportioning interest payable and the income of life assurance companies.

Dawn Primarolo: Estimates for both measures were included in the 2000 Financial Statement and Budget Report. The first measure was extensively refined by Finance Act 2001 and, when these refinements are taken into account, the full year cost to the Exchequer was estimated to be 25 million. Otherwise, there are no subsequent estimates.

VAT

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the European Commission to issue a derogation so that businesses with turnovers of 1.35 million or less will be able to take advantage of more flexible VAT payment options.

Dawn Primarolo: The timetable has not yet been finalised but we expect the European Commission to adopt and issue a proposal shortly. Any subsequent announcement in respect of the turnover limit for entry to the VAT Cash Accounting Scheme will be made separately, as part of the normal Budget process.

VAT: Electronic Commerce

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what effect on the income generated to the Exchequer has resulted from the introduction of VAT for non-EU businesses providing electronically supplied services to EU consumers since 2003.

Dawn Primarolo: The majority of VAT collected as a result of the change in the VAT rules is via the special VAT on e-services scheme for non-EU businesses. Since its introduction in July 2003, around 100 million has been collected in UK VAT.

Working Tax Credits: Prisoners

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total amount paid in working tax credits to prisoners on day release in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not available.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Child Abuse: Historic Claims

David Kidney: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will change the limitation periods on adults making claims relating to abuse they experienced when children.

Harriet Harman: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my right hon. Friend the Member for North Tyneside (Mr. Byers),  Official Report, 5 December 2006, c. 348W.

Court Service Budget

David Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the budget is for the court service in each criminal justice area in 2006-07; and what percentage change each figure represents of the budget for 2005-06.

Harriet Harman: Her Majesty's Courts Service consists of 42 criminal justice areas. The budget data for each area has been placed in both libraries of the House.
	Her Majesty's Courts Service operates a unified court structure and a unified budget. The budget allocated to each criminal justice area is made up of funding for both criminal and civil courts. The information provided, while broken down by criminal justice area, is the budget for the court service not the budget for criminal justice.

Immigration Cases

David Lidington: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs on what dates her Department notified the Home Office of the decisions of the immigration judge on 23 May and of the Tribunal on 18 August (reference OA/17132/2005) in the case of Mr W.G. of Pakistan, husband of Mrs A.M. of Aylesbury.

Bridget Prentice: Information shows that the immigration judge decision in the appeal of Mr. W. G. was served on both parties to the appeal on 23 May 2006, following an appeal hearing on 9 May 2006.
	An application by the respondent seeking a reconsideration of the original decision was determined on 25 August by a senior member of the judiciary and served on both parties on the 29 August 2006.

Magistrates: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many applications to sit as a magistrate in Milton Keynes were  (a) received and  (b) accepted from each ethnic group in each of the last five years.

Harriet Harman: The numbers of applications received are not recorded centrally. Appointments to the magistracy in each ethnic group in each of the last five years are:
	
		
			   White  Mixed  Asian  Black  Any other  Unknown 
			 2001-02 13 0 0 0 1 0 
			 2002-03 9 1 0 1 0 0 
			 2002-04 9 0 1 3 0 0 
			 2004-05 12 0 1 0 0 0 
			 2005-06 12 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Totals 55 1 3 4 1 0

Non-Pecuniary Loss

David Jones: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans her Department has to implement the recommendations of the Law Commission on damages for non-pecuniary loss.

Bridget Prentice: The Law Commission published its report on Damages for Personal Injury: Non-Pecuniary Loss in April 1999. In November 1999 the Government indicated that this was an area of the law which was in the courts' independent sphere, and where it had no plans to legislate. That remains the case.

Sharia Courts

Paul Goodman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what her policy is on the recognition by the police of decisions reached by sharia courts held in England and Wales.

Harriet Harman: Sharia law has no jurisdiction in England and Wales. The Government have not and has no intention of changing this position.
	It is my Department's policy that serious crimes would always be heard in an English criminal court. The police do not recognise any decision made by an alternative court.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Child Care

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the occupancy rates for places in day nurseries were in each year since 2001.

Beverley Hughes: The number of children per registered full day care setting place was 1.6 in 2001, 1.5 in 2003 and 1.4 in 2005. 2005 is the latest date for which figures are available. The number of children enrolled is greater than the number of places, as part-time children can share a full time place.
	These figures are based on findings from nationally representative surveys of registered child care and early years providers, which are commissioned by the Department. The survey began in 1998 and was repeated in 2001, 2002/03 and 2005. Therefore while it is possible to provide occupancy rates for places in full day care settings for 2001, 2002/03 and 2005 it is not possible to provide the relevant data for 2002 and 2003 separately or for 2004.

Child Care

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many home child carers have been approved since  (a) the introduction of the Childcare Approval Scheme and  (b) the beginning of 2006.

Beverley Hughes: The Childcare Approval Scheme (CAS) approves carers who provide care in a child's own home and childminders who care for children aged eight and over. Since the introduction of the scheme in April 2005, 3,443 carers have been approved by the CAS. By 30 November 2006, 2,213 carers had been approved since the beginning of 2006.

Child Care

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many Sure Start children's centres there are; and what progress has been made towards the 2008 target of 2,500 centres;
	(2)  how many children's centres were established in 2005-06; how many are forecast to be established in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08; how many children's places were available in 2005-06; and how many are forecast to be available in (i) 2006-07 and 2007-08;
	(3)  what percentage of children's centres have at least one early years professional;
	(4)  what assessment he  (a) has made and  (b) plans to make of the effectiveness of children's centres; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: As of 1 December 2006 there were 1,048 designated Sure Start children's centres. We are on track to meet our 2008 target of 2,500 centres and our 2010 target of 3,500 children's centres, one for every community.
	There were 550 Sure Start children's centres established in 2005-06. A further 336 centres were designated between April and November 2006 as local authorities completed the roll out of the first phase of the programme. Local authorities are responsible for planning and managing the delivery of children's centres, and future designation dates are subject to change as they revise their plans. Authorities receive ongoing support and challenge from the Department to ensure their overall targets are met.
	We do not centrally record the number of child care places available in children's centres. Centres in the most disadvantaged areas cannot be designated without integrated early learning and child care for children under the age of five, but local authorities decide how many places can be sustained in a given area. However, we are implementing more sophisticated tracking systems for the second phase of the programme (2006-08) that will provide a clearer picture of services delivered.
	There are currently no early years professionals although some people are currently receiving the training. However, for a children's centre to be designated it must employ a qualified teacher who spends half their working hours at the centre. The qualified teacher's role is to lead the planning, development and delivery of the curriculum and lead on the observation and assessment of young children's progress.
	No assessment to date has been made of the effectiveness of Sure Start children's centres which are still in the early stages of roll out and it is too early to assess what impact they are having. However, some children's centres have been developed from earlier Sure Start funded settings such as Sure Start Local Programmes and evaluation of these programmes is under way. Lessons from this research are being used to inform the development of Sure Start children's centres including the recently published Revised Sure Start Children's Centres Practice Guidance and Planning and Performance Management Guidance for local authorities and Sure Start Children's Centres.
	We are giving further consideration to how we can best assess the effectiveness of children's centres in the longer term.

Children's Trusts

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children's trusts had been established by April 2006; and how many are forecast to have been established by the end of 2008.

Beverley Hughes: The primary purpose of a children's trust is to improve outcomes for children through the planning, commissioning and delivery of children's services across education, social care and health.
	All local areas have made significant progress towards this approach. All have completed or are in the process of completing a Children and Young People's Plan based on a joint needs assessment. At least 144 local authorities have or are in the process of appointing a Director of Children's Services with responsibility for bringing together education and children's social services. Many examples of emerging practice have now been published to facilitate shared learning from the most advanced children's trusts on areas of children's trust development such as joint planning and commissioning, information sharing and the pooling of budgets.

Consultants

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills by what mechanism consultancy contracts commissioned by his Department are reviewed for cost-effectiveness; who conducts these reviews; what records are maintained of such contracts; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: I refer my hon. Member to the written response my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills gave on 22 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1362W, to his similar parliamentary question about mechanisms to monitor payment of external consultants.

Early Support Pilot Programme

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the early support pilot programme; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The early support programme operates in 45 Pathfinder local authority areas across the country, and in 2006-07 the principles of the programme are being extended to other local authorities across the country. An independent evaluation of the programme in the Pathfinder areas was carried out in 2006 by a team from the University of Manchester and the University of Central Lancashire. The evaluation found that across the Pathfinder areas, the programme has improved the planning and delivery of services to disabled children and their families, particularly through stronger joint working across those agencies involved in providing care and support for these children. It also highlighted the key challenges that many Pathfinder areas still face in successfully integrating services for disabled children around the needs of the child. As with all pathfinder projects, best practice from the programme will form the basis for extending and embedding the principles of Early Support across the country.

Special Schools

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many  (a) independent and  (b) maintained special schools there were in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.

Sure Start

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the average salary of Sure Start workers in each of the last four years.

Beverley Hughes: No estimate has been made of the average salary of Sure Start workers in each of the last four years. However, our 2006 survey of early years and childcare providers has, for the first time, identified Sure Start children's centres as a separate category of provider. Data about the salary levels of those working in children's centres will therefore be available when the survey findings are published next year.

Sure Start

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much Government funding has been spent on Sure Start since 2 May 1997; how many children have participated in the scheme during that period; and how many were participating in the scheme in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Beverley Hughes: Funding for programmes specifically to provide integrated services to pre-school children through Sure Start local programmes and latterly, children's centres, began in 1999. Between 1999 and March 2006, 2.1 billion(1) was spent by local partners to set up and run this provision.
	Figures for the total number of children who have participated in Sure Start since 1999 have not been collected centrally. The number of children seen by Sure Start local programmes was monitored from 2001, but this data is incomplete as reporting from some programmes was irregular in the early stages. As of 1 December 2006, there were 1,048 designated children's centres, a figure that includes the vast majority of the 524 Sure Start local programmes established originally. Over 800,000 children under five now have the opportunity to access children's centre services, significant progress in our target to have a children centre for every community by March 2010.
	(1) The total includes 2005-06 expenditure on Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs) and children's centres which has been estimated using returns from local authorities and SSLPs, and should be treated as provisional. For children's centres, the expenditure is based on unaudited expenditure returns from all local authorities. For SSLPs, the revenue expenditure is based on received unaudited expenditure returns and an estimate for those programmes where a return has not been received and the capital expenditure on payments made less estimated refunds.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Child Poverty

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of the child population in Northern Ireland was lifted out of poverty in each of the last five years; and what steps he is taking to increase the rate of uplift.

David Hanson: Data on child poverty is available only for the years 2002-03; 2003-04;2004-05. Between the first and second years the proportion of the child population in poverty remained the same. On the same measure between 2003-04 and 2004-05 there was a decrease of 2.5 per cent. this equates to around 11,000 children.
	'Lifetime Opportunities' Governments Anti-Poverty and Social Inclusion Strategy, launched on 13 November includes a commitment to reducing child poverty by half by 2010 with a view to eradicating child poverty by 2020. Here this means lifting 65,000 children out of poverty by 2010, on the way to eradication by 2020.
	A copy of Lifetime Opportunities has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Communications Spending

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent on press, public relations and communications work by  (a) each (i) health and social services board and (ii) health trust in Northern Ireland and  (b) the Health Estates Agency in (A) 2003-04, (B) 2004-05 and (C) 2005-06; what expenditure is planned by each for such work in 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The information is as follows:
	1. The information relating to spending on press, public relations and communications work by each health and social services board and health trust from 2003-04 is detailed in the following tables.
	
		
			   
			  Board  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07( 1) 
			 Eastern 105,000 110,000 116,000 116,000 
			 Northern 89,226 96,424 95,775 110,276 
			 Southern (2) 103,498 106,000 97,880 
			 Western 29,000 33,000 31,000 23,000 
			 Total 223,226 342,922 232775 347,156 
			 (1 )Estimated  (2 )Not available 
		
	
	
		
			   
			  Trust  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07( 1) 
			 Altnagelvin Hospital 79,853 71,445 63,599 42,968 
			 Armagh and Dungannon 20,672 31,851 23,493 27,484 
			 Belfast City 57,517 105,393 62,966 70,472 
			 Causeway Hospital 96,288 125,080 112,736 102,000 
			 Craigavon and Banbridge Community 45,653 58,323 60,941 61,446 
			 Craigavon Area Hospital Group 38,806 44,683 38,314 68,435 
			 Down Lisburn 128,388 112,977 116,180 119,374 
			 Foyle 12,132 15,310 5,778 6,472 
			 Green Park Healthcare 56,598 53,810 43,587 23,137 
			 Homefirst Community 296,376 236,810 287,064 264,936 
			 Mater Hospital 3,460 3,573 3,688 3,744 
			 Newry and Mourne 0 0 0 0 
			 NT Ambulance Service 17,500 17,500 17,500 17,500 
			 North and West Belfast 101,000 116,000 114,000 117,000 
			 Royal Group 389,964 367,168 388,909 390,000 
			 South and East Belfast 253,837 237,736 226,822 221,151 
			 Sperrin Lakeland 0 0 40,296 90,000 
			 Ulster Community and Hospital 97,820 119,720 123,665 124,020 
			 United Hospitals 92,906 94,119 96,949 87,227 
			 Total 1,788,770 1,811,498 1,826,487 1,837,366 
			 (1 )Estimated 
		
	
	2. The requested expenditure for the Health Estates Agency is not available, as it is included in the overall figures for the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. Information about DHSSPS expenditure was provided in the reply to PQ06-4475.

EcoEnergy

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to encourage electricity customers in Northern Ireland to use EcoEnergy; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) has actively promoted Eco Energy since its launch in 1998. In addition to information provided in bills and direct mail campaigns, NIE encourages customers to sign up to Eco Energy at key events throughout the year including Balmoral Show, Winter Fair, and the Green Living Fair. In promoting Eco Energy NIE also works closely with other partner organisations such as Action Renewables and the Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre who include information on this option in their advice packs.
	NIE figures show that the number of customers continues to grow with over 2,500 new Eco Energy customers being signed up between March and October 2006.

Flu Vaccinations: Pensioners

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of those pensioners eligible in each health trust area in Northern Ireland had received an influenza vaccination as of 30 November; and what steps he is taking to increase the vaccination of eligible pensioners.

Paul Goggins: The information is not available in the format requested.
	Since the commencement of the 2006-07 influenza vaccination programme at the start of October, nearly half of those aged over 65 years had been vaccinated by 31 October. The following table gives details for each health board area.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  Health board  Uptake rate of 65+ population receiving influenza vaccine 
			 EHSSB 38.9 
			 NHSSB 56.1 
			 SHSSB 57.3 
			 WHSSB 57.0 
			 NI 49.2 
			 1. Percentages collated by Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre for NI provided from data collected from GP practices.  2. At the time of collating the above figures, 9 per cent. of all practices are still to forward their data returns, therefore the actual uptake is higher than these figures suggest.  3. The uptake rate for 30 November will be available mid-December 
		
	
	The influenza vaccination programme in Northern Ireland is well established and now in its sixth year. The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Health liaised with voluntary and community organisations for older people to raise awareness of the launch of the campaign, and this year the launch coincided with Age Awareness Week. Those eligible for immunisation receive a personal invite from their GP along with a detailed information leaflet. In addition, many HSS Trusts, GPs and community pharmacists take action to increase uptake at a local level.

Northern Ireland Ombudsman

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many complaints were made to the Northern Ireland ombudsman about each Northern Ireland Government Department or agency in each of the last five years; and how many of those complaints were  (a) upheld and  (b) dismissed.

David Hanson: The Northern Ireland ombudsman is independent. I have asked the Northern Ireland ombudsman to provide the hon. Lady with a reply.

Parliament Buildings

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans have been made to fund scanning equipment at all entrances of the Northern Ireland Parliament buildings.

David Hanson: There is already scanning equipment at all public entrances to Parliament buildings through which all visitors and staff are required to pass.
	These and other physical security measures will be examined as part of a wider review of security within Parliament buildings.

Pensioner Poverty

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of the pensioner population in Northern Ireland has been lifted out of poverty in each of the last five years; and what steps he is taking to increase these figures.

David Hanson: Data on pensioner poverty are available only for the years 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05. Between the first and second years the proportion of the pensioner population in poverty increased by an estimated 2.8 per cent.; this equates to approximately 8,000 pensioners. On the same measure between 2003-04 and 2004-05 there was no change.
	Lifetime Opportunities Governments Anti-Poverty and Social Inclusion Strategy, launched on 13 November includes a commitment to work towards the elimination of poverty and social exclusion in Northern Ireland by 2020.
	A copy of Lifetime Opportunities has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Stormont Parliament: Security

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how long it took for the police to arrive at the entrance of the Great Hall, Stormont Parliament building following the security alert on 24 November; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The security alert at Parliament buildings on 24 November 2006 began at 10.55 am. Security staff in Parliament buildings made an emergency call at 11.11 am to the PSNI Operational System requesting assistance.
	The PSNI arrived at Parliament buildings at 11.16 am, five minutes after the emergency call was placed.
	I pay tribute to the response of all staff at the Parliament buildings following the alert.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

HIV and AIDS

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the key elements required to ensure the success of a campaign to reduce HIV infection in the poorest countries.

Hilary Benn: To reduce HIV infection and fight AIDS we need: strong political leadership; honesty and openness; universal access to care, support and treatment; special help for children orphaned and affected by AIDS; research and development into vaccines and microbicides; and more money, doctors, nurses, clinics and drugs.

HIV and AIDS

David Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS in India.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has committed 123 million to the Indian Government's second National AIDS Control Programme, which ends in March 2007. Our money, through the National AIDS Control Organisation, is helping to fund prevention campaigns with high risk groups in eight states. DFID also supports a national AIDS resource centre, condom promotion, mass media campaigns, and a challenge fund for NGOs.

Sri Lanka

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka.

Gareth Thomas: The UK follows closely developments in the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka, including through visits by British officials to areas affected by the conflict. The British Government have raised serious concerns about the fragile situation and the need for all parties to the conflict to ensure regular and sustained access for humanitarian assistance.
	In September, the British Government contributed $1 million to the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross to help provide humanitarian assistance to some 200,000 people displaced by the recent upsurge of violence.

Aid for Trade

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's policy on Aid for Trade.

Gareth Thomas: Aid for Trade aims to enable people in developing countries to trade their way out of poverty. It can be extremely effective. For example, DFID is providing 3 million to Lesotho for tax reforms that have already resulted in a 204 per cent. increase in revenue collection. UK policy is to work for substantial, monitorable increases in global Aid for Trade. In December 2005 donors committed to increasing spending to $4 billion by 2010, and agreed recommendations on how to do so effectively at the World Trade Organisation in October 2006. We will continue to work for full implementation of these commitments.

Latin America

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's Latin American regional assistance plan.

Gareth Thomas: Progress is reviewed internally every six months. Examples of success to date include:
	an International Centre against HIV/AIDS in Brazil has been established, providing technical support to countries in the region.
	the Inter-American Development Bank has changed its loans to be more accessible to small enterprises, including cooperatives;
	the World Bank has engaged with a much wider group of actors in preparing and distributing its analyses of development potential in Peru and Bolivia.
	In addition, DFID has commissioned from the Overseas Development Institute an independent evaluation of the performance of the regional assistance plan, and its recommendations are expected in January.

Nigeria

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made on ensuring that schools and clinics in the poorest areas in Nigeria have sufficient resources to employ teachers and nurses.

Hilary Benn: There remain significant weaknesses in basic service provision in the north of Nigeria and health and education indicators remain poor. DFID's assistance is designed to help the Nigerian government make more effective use of its own resources, which far exceed those provided by donors. DFID supports reform in the Federal Ministry of Education, works with the World Bank to deliver Education Sector Programmes in three States and provides 26 million through UNICEF for a Girls Education Project in six northern States with the highest differences in the number of girls and boys in school. Our 55 million Partnership for Transforming Health Systems (PATHS) works with the Federal Ministry of Health and selected States to deliver better health services, including support for retraining of nurses and other health workers.

Africa

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to promote sustainable forestry in Africa.

Gareth Thomas: DFID, as part of overall efforts to promote sustainable development, has stepped up its work related to sustainable forestry in Africa. Presently, DFID has committed:
	12 million in support of African countries under the European Union's Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Action Plan.
	11 million to the Forest and Environment Sector Programme in Cameroon.
	441,000 to pilot forest zoning in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
	470,000 to promote dialogue on sustainable forestry in DRC.
	300,000 to advance critical forest policy, tenure and market reforms in Africa.
	In addition, DFID has supported studies on Chinese-African trade and works with the private sector to promote investment in sustainable forestry in Africa.

Conditionality

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what further discussions he has had with World Bank officials on conditionality.

Hilary Benn: In September I told President Wolfowitz that the first report on implementation of the Bank's Good Practice Principles for conditionality did not provide enough information to enable me to make a decision on the payment of 50 million of the UK's IDA 14 contribution that was conditional on progress. He agreed to produce a more detailed report which we received last month. I met with the World Bank's Vice President for Operations Policy on 27 November to discuss the report. Having considered the report I have decided that satisfactory progress has been made. This view was shared unanimously by the Board of the World Bank at its meeting on 5 December.

Conventional Weapons Conference

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the outcome was of the review conference on the convention on certain conventional weapons; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Review conference discussions were dominated by cluster munitions and anti-vehicle mines. Prior to the conference the Government announced plans to withdraw 'dumb' cluster munitions from service by the middle of the next decade and called on others to do likewise. We succeeded in getting agreement to urgent expert discussions on the humanitarian impact of these weaponsan essential step toward negotiating a legally binding instrument on their use. No such agreement was possible on anti-vehicle mines. The UK therefore announced that it will, over time, introduce measures to reduce the humanitarian impact of these mines.

Developing Countries

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he has taken to support the Right to Sight joint aim of the World Health Organisation and International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness to eradicate avoidable blindness worldwide by 2020.

Gareth Thomas: The UK is committed to the aim of the Right to Sight: to eradicate avoidable blindness worldwide by 2020. The UK supported the recent resolution on the prevention of blindness that was passed at the World Health Assembly in May of this year. This resolution encourages a higher level of political, procedural and financial commitment to eliminating avoidable blindness worldwide.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) supports developing countries' efforts to build effective health services able to prevent, diagnose and treat the major causes of ill health, including those which cause avoidable blindness. In 2005-06 DFID provided 415.6 million as direct support to health sectors in developing countries.
	In addition, DFID provided 12.5 million in 2005-06 as core support to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and 19 million in 2005-06 as core support to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). WHO is a key partner in the Right to Sight, and has established specific disease control programmes such as the Global Elimination of Trachoma. UNICEF works to prevent measles and Vitamin A deficiency, both of which can cause blindness.
	Finally, DFID has provided 7.1 million to the Africa Programme for Onchocerciasis Control, which has significantly reduced river blindness in most of West Africa.

Foreign Aid

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the Government expenditure was on  (a) international development and  (b) combating AIDS in developing countries in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) 2005-06; and what the percentage change was in real terms in each figure over that period.

Gareth Thomas: Total UK gross public expenditure on development was 6,612 million in 2005-06 compared to 2,415 million in 1996-97. This represents a rise of 121 per cent. in real terms. The methodology for calculating AIDS expenditure is currently under review and expenditure figures will be announced shortly.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcohol Sales

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on the ban on alcohol sales to under 18-year-olds.

Vernon Coaker: The Licensing Act 2003 for the first time made it an offence to sell alcohol to people under 18 anywhere in England and Wales. Various representations have been made by the alcohol industry, the police, trading standards officers, Members of Parliament and members of the public on concerns they have regarding underage alcohol sales. This issue has also been discussed at ministerial meetings and through an Underage Sales Working Group.
	Four Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaigns conducted over the past two years have included test purchasing as a tool to establish the progress that the alcohol industry has made in seeking to eliminate alcohol sales to minors. Intelligence-led test purchase campaigns also ensure that those who repeatedly break the law receive the appropriate penalty. Retailers have also been encouraged to 'Challenge 21' to prevent alcohol sales to minors, where any young person who appears to be under 21 is asked for a valid form of identification. We have also introduced a new offence under the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 of persistently selling alcohol to children.

DNA Database

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have had profiles stored on the National DNA Database since 10 January 2006; how many profiles are stored on the National Database; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ryan: Between 10 January and 30 November 2006, 698,649 subject profiles were loaded on the National DNA Database (NDNAD). It is estimated that this number of profiles relates to 621,798 individuals. (Some individuals have more than one profile on the NDNAD due to replicate sampling. For example, an individual arrested on more than one occasion may have a sample taken more than once because they have given a false name). At 30 November 2006, there were 4,280,379 subject profiles on the NDNAD which relate to an estimated 3,809,537 individuals.

Hague Conference on Private International Law

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what basis the Government's decision to waive their opt out on Council Decision 2006/719/EC on the accession of the Community to the Hague Conference on Private International Law was made; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
	The United Kingdom has consistently supported the valuable work of the Hague Conference, a long established international organisation whose purpose is to work to unify the rules of private international law.
	Under the Conference's original statute only states were entitled to become parties to it. This did not cause any significant problems in practice or affect the position of the European Community itself in negotiations under Community law. However, the adoption of measures of Community law in the area of private international law led to increased co-operation between the member states of the Community in relation to the work of the Conference. The exclusion of the Community as a formal party to the Conference was therefore becoming increasingly anomalous.
	In the light of these considerations and the desirability of supporting the full and constructive participation of the Community in the work of the Conference, the Government decided the United Kingdom should opt in under our Protocol on Title IV measures to a proposal that the Community should support amendments to the statute allowing the Community to become a party to the Conference. A package of amendments to give effect to this proposal has now been ratified by the necessary two-thirds majority of the state parties to the Conference, including the United Kingdom.

Hampshire Probation Board

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his strategy is for ensuring that there is a smooth transition to the incoming Hampshire Probation Board in April 2007, with particular reference to (a) quality of service and  (b) public protection; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: During the planning phase for the current board member and chair recruitment, the previous skills and competencies by which the existing Boards were recruited have been extensively rewritten with a view to making them more relevant to an environment of Public Value Partnerships and a mixed economy. It was against these skills and competencies that all candidates were assessed and ultimately short listed.
	The revised competencies focus on skills acquired within public, private and not for profit organisationspeople management, financial management, strategic management, operational management and corporate management.
	All successful board chairs have been invited to attend a two day induction event on corporate governance on the 6 and 7 December 2006.
	A number of day long training sessions on key issues affecting the work of the board chairs will be delivered on a monthly basis from February 2007. These events will include topics such as financial and resource management, performance management, public promotion of probation, public protection, budget management, etc. A major theme will be the transition from board to trust status and how probation will operate in this new environment. Chief Officers who are ex-officio members of boards are the accountable officers in terms of budgets and also have responsibility for all operational matters including public protection. The new board chairs have a key ambassadorial role for their board and this will be developed in the programme outlined above.
	There are plans to organise an induction seminar and ongoing training events for new board members. This will be arranged in early-mid 2007. There will also be induction exercises at the local board and regional level

Identity and Passport Service

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Identity and Passport Service spent on sending officials Christmas cards in each of the last two years for which figures are available.

Joan Ryan: In 2005 the United Kingdom Passport Service spent 1,280 in total on Christmas cards. In 2006 the Identity and Passport Service will spend 1,030 in total on Christmas cards.

Identity and Passport Service

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Identity and Passport Service spent on official entertaining in each of the last two years for which figures are available.

Joan Ryan: The Identity and Passport Service undertakes minimal official entertaining and this would be mainly limited to the provision of sandwich lunches to visitors to our facilities.

Identity and Passport Service

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Identity and Passport Service spent on food and alcohol for its staff working out of office in each of the last two years for which figures are available.

Joan Ryan: The Identity and Passport Service provides subsistence to its staff who are required to work out of their normal base in line with Home Office travel and subsistence rules. In addition working lunches are provided in certain circumstances. The total amounts the Agency has spent in the last two years are as follows:
	
		
			
			 2004-05 252,707 
			 2005-06 296,282

Identity and Passport Service

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many overseas visits have been made by staff at the Identity and Passport Service in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what the total cost was of these visits.

Joan Ryan: Separate records on the number of overseas trips is not held separately, but the cost of overseas journeys undertaken by UK Passport Service staff are as follows:
	
		
			
			 2001-02 8,818 
			 2002-03 21,080 
			 2003-04 27,259 
			 2004-05 24,330 
			 2005-06 23,427

Paedophiles

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he will take to ensure that victims of paedophiles have access to ongoing victim support services; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: In 2007, as part of the Government's Victims of Violence and Abuse Prevention Programme, we will be publishing National Service Guidelines on effective interventions to support child victims of sexual abuse and adult survivors of child sexual abuse. This builds on investment of 12 million this year in developing services for safeguarding children from abuse, including the continuing development of Sexual Assault Referral Centres for children.
	This year we have also invested 1.25 million through the Victims Fund in voluntary and community services for victims of sexual violence and abuse, including services for children, and for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. At a local level, the co-ordination of work to safeguard children is the responsibility of Local Safeguarding Children Boards, which have been established in every local authority area. The provision of mental health services for children is the responsibility of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

Police Custody: Lincoln

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the conclusions were of the intermittent custody pilot scheme in Lincoln; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 5 December 2006
	The intermittent custody pilot at Morton Hall in Lincoln was subject to an evaluation; the full report will be published on 7 December 2006.

Police Pay

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans there are to index-link pay for police officers.

Tony McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement of 16 November 2006,  Official Report, column 5WS.

Policing

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Government expenditure on policing was in  (a) England and Wales,  (b) the North West,  (c) Greater Manchester and  (d) Manchester, Gorton constituency in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) 2005-06; and what the percentage change was in real terms for each figure over that period.

John Reid: The Government allocates funding to police authorities. The allocation of resources to Manchester Gorton is a matter for the chief constable and Greater Manchester police authority.
	The information requested that is available is set out in the table.
	
		
			  Total Government grants 1996-97 and 2005-06 
			   1996-97  2005-06( 1) ( million)  Real change (percentage) 
			 England and Wales(2, 3) 6135 10065 32.1 
			 North-West Region(4) 807 1096 9.3 
			 Greater Manchester 316 447 13.9 
			 (1 )2005-06 figures are adjusted following the 2003-04 Amending Report. (2) Figures for England and Wales include Police Home Office grant, RSG/NNDR, Specific grants, capital grant and support and central spending. In 2005-06 this expanded to include Counter Terrorism, International and organised crime funding. (3) Excluded RSG/NNDR for the City of London that is provided to the corporation in respect of all its services. (4) North-west Region includes Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside.

Prison Service

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how complaints about the  (a) fairness and  (b) legality of treatment of those having dealings with the prison service are investigated.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Investigations into complaints are conducted in accordance with the requirements of Prison Service Order 1300Investigations. It is for the appropriate manager to make a judgement of the seriousness and nature of the complaint in order to decide the level of the investigation, and who will carry it out.

Prisoners and Convicted Criminals

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of  (a) prisoners and  (b) convicted criminals in England and Wales are recorded as (i) white and (ii) black minority ethnic.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information on the numbers of white and black and minority ethnic prisoners held in prison establishments in England and Wales at the end of December 2005 is drawn from data held in the prison IT system and was published in table 2.11 of the Offender Management Caseload Statistics Quarterly Brief for October-December 2005 which can be found at the following website:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/omcsq405.pdf
	Comparable information about convicted criminals is not available.
	The figures provided in the publication referred to have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and although shown to the last individual, the figures may not be accurate to that level.

Prisons

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have been diagnosed with mental health disorders.

Gerry Sutcliffe: A survey, Psychiatric morbidity among prisoners in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics, 1988) showed that 90 per cent. of prisoners have at least one significant mental health problem, including personality disorder, psychosis, neurosis, alcohol misuse and drug dependence. A copy is available in the Library.
	Mental health services for prisoners have been a key part of the government's recent reforms of health services for prisoners. The Department of Health is now investing nearly 20 million a year in NHS mental health in-reach services for prisoners. These are community mental health teams working within prisons and are now available in 102 prisons, with some 360 extra staff employed. Every prison in England and Wales has access to these services. Information on how many prisoners receive these services is not collected centrally.

Prisons

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will investigate the reasons for the overspend in HMP Wymott's budget.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Wymott is currently forecasting an overspend of 660,000. This largely consists of increased utility costs for gas and electricity, a centrally negotiated equal pay settlement, and an excessive number of bedwatches due to prisoners' illnesses. The Prison Service is aware of this overspend and no investigation is warranted.

Prisons

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the extent to which prison officers on paid leave are carrying out bed watch duty and receiving payment for this duty; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Payment is not made for bedwatch duty during paid leave, which for health and safety reasons is protected. If a bedwatch takes place, leave is cancelled and the shift re-instated and treated as if no leave had been booked.

Probation Service

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) average number of cases per month handled and  (b) rates of recidivism were in each probation office area in the last year for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is as follows:
	 Number of cases handled:
	The probation caseload as at 31 December 2005 for each probation area can be found in table 1.8 of the Offender Management Caseload Statistics Quarterly Brief for October-December 2005, and can be found at the following website:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/omcsq405.pdf
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and although shown to the last individual the figures may not be accurate to that level.
	 Rates of recidivism:
	Recidivism is measured by re-offending rates which are published annually. Re-offending rates are currently available only at a national level, but we are seeking to develop reliable rates at probation area level.
	The latest national re-offending rates are published at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/hosb2006.pdf

Probation Service

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are employed by the  (a) National Offender Management Service,  (b) National Probation Directorate and  (c) Prison Service Headquarters.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 5 December 2006
	As at October 2006 the total number of staff in the requested areas was as follows.
	 (a) National Offender Management Service Headquarters (excluding National Probation Directorate and HM Prison Service Staff): 1,261.
	 (b) National Probation Directorate : 116.
	 (c) The public sector Prison Service Headquarters: 1,649. (This figure excludes staff in area offices).

Probation Service

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the caseload is of the National Probation Service.

Gerry Sutcliffe: At the end of December 2005, there were 224,094 people being supervised by the Probation Service.

Probation Service

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are supervised by the National Probation Service; and how many offenders have been allocated to each tier under the National Offender Management model.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 5 December 2006
	At the end of December 2005, probation areas reported 224,094 people under their supervision. The number of offenders supervised in the community (i.e. excluding those still in custody) was 162,005. The number of these offenders allocated to each tier under the National Offender Management model is shown in the table. In December 2005, the 'tiering' concept was only being applied to those supervised in the community.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and although shown to the last individual the figure may not be accurate to that level.
	
		
			  Persons supervised by the Probation Service at 31 December 2005by supervision tier 
			  Tier  Number 
			 1 47,011 
			 2 23,824 
			 3 36,455 
			 4 43,474 
			 Not stated 11,241 
			 Total 162,005 
			  Note: Quality: care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, but the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and so although shown to the last individual, the figures may not be accurate to that level.  Source: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems.

Recidivism Rates

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the rates of recidivism are for each  (a) prison,  (b) young offenders' institution and  (c) organisation contracted to manage community sentences in England and Wales.

Gerry Sutcliffe: For the most recent information on re-offending rates for adults and juveniles by disposal please see Table five of Re-offending of adults: evidence from the 2003 cohort at the following link:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/hosb2006.pdf
	and Table A5 of Re-offending of juveniles: evidence from the 2004 cohort available at the following link:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/hosb1006.pdf
	Validated information on re-offending is not available at the level of the individual establishment or probation area.

Road Safety

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2006,  Official Report, column 409W, on road safety, on what date work commenced on the detailed specification; when it is due to be completed; what international research he refers to; and in what ways they are unsuitable for road-side drug-testing.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 4 December 2006
	 : It was changes to the law introduced by the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 which encouraged a particular focus on the possibility of a device that could derive a reliable indication whether a person had a drug in his body from a sample of sweat or saliva. Work to develop a specification for such a device has been part of this focus, but it is not possible to give a precise date for when it began. Consideration of how best to test for the presence of drugs in a driver had been under way for some time before that at both the Home Office Scientific Development Branch and the Forensic Science Service and broader work continues alongside the development of a specification.
	The development has involved outside academic experts and consultation with industry and other interested parties. The most recent consultation took place in summer this year. A specification will be issued as soon as the results of this consultation and any further consultation that might be necessary has been fully taken into account. No specific date has been set for the completion of the work, as this will depend on the outcome of the consultation. There would be no value in a specification that did not meet all the appropriate requirements.
	The work has also had regard to relevant research, particularly the joint European/USA ROSITA-II study. The findings are available at www.rosita.org. A wide range of problems was found with the different devices tested, both in their accuracy and sensitivity and in their operational use. The specific conclusion was that
	no device was considered to be reliable enough in order to be recommended for the roadside screening of drivers.

Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are in place between the UK and each EU country for providing  (a) criminal conviction information and  (b) provision of non-conviction and soft intelligence information pertaining to overseas nationals who work in regulated positions under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ryan: The following arrangements are in place between the UK and each EU member state:
	An EU Council Decision (CD) on the exchange of information extracted from the criminal record (2005/876/JHA) was adopted on 21 November 2005. This CD allows member states to exchange information as follows:
	'Own Initiative notifications'Where a national of another member state is convicted, the convicting member state must inform the member state of nationality without delay of that conviction.
	'Requests for information'Requests may be made for information held on the criminal record of another member state in the following circumstances;
	(a) For use in criminal proceedings
	(b) From a judicial authority outside the context of criminal proceedings
	(c) A request made by the person concerned
	Responses must be made within 10 working days (extensions are allowed where information is required to clarify the identification of the person concerned).
	Requests, responses and the use of data given in response can only be made in accordance with national laws of the states concerned.
	The UK Central Authority required to carry out these functions was established in May 2006. A Framework Decision (FD) is currently under negotiation which also aims to introduce a common format and an electronic mechanism to facilitate the exchange of information.
	The CD allows the UK to make requests for information for employment vetting. The CRB is undertaking a feasibility study into how many other member states are willing and/or able to share data with the UK for that purpose. The CRB is writing to other member states to establish this information.
	The CD and FD deal only with criminal conviction information. There are no plans at present to exchange non-conviction information between EU member states. It is prudent to establish the principle of exchanging conviction data with other member states before exploring the issue of exchanging non-conviction and 'soft' intelligence, and while bilateral discussions with other countries are at an early stage there are some positive indications on which we hope to build.
	Under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, criminal records information obtained by the CRB will be passed to the new Independent Barring Board in cases where a discretionary decision is required. It may also be possible for the board to request information from other EU member states in accordance with the CD and FD.

Sentences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the maximum sentence was awarded for a crime in  (a) Crown courts and  (b) magistrates' courts in the last year for which figures are available; and what proportion of sentences given in each type of court each figure represents.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested, relating to England and Wales for 2005, is as follows:
	At the Crown court, 1,114 maximum custodial sentences were imposed on persons for their principal offences, 2.5 per cent. of all custodial sentences passed at that court. These figures include mandatory life sentences for murder and indeterminate sentences for public protection (the latter in addition to the normal maximum sentence for the offences in question).
	At magistrates courts, 1,132 persons were given the maximum sentence of immediate custody for their principal offences (this figure excludes sentences of six months custody imposed for triable-either-way offences, given that any longer deemed necessary would have involved a committal to the Crown court). This figure represents 2.0 per cent. of all persons sentenced to immediate custody at magistrates courts.
	Although care is taken in collating and analysing the returns used to compile these figures, the data are of necessity subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. Consequently, although figures are shown to the last digit in order to provide a comprehensive record of the information collected, they are not necessarily accurate to the last digit shown.

Young Offenders

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many juvenile offenders from each local authority area in Wales are held in secure accommodation in  (a) Oswald Unit at Cassington,  (b) Rainsbrook,  (c) Red Bank Community House,  (d) Stoke Heath,  (e) Thorn Cross,  (f) Vinney Green,  (g) Werrington,  (h) Wetherby,  (i) Hillside and  (j) Parc; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following tables give the data requested as at 24 November 2006. The figures were provided by the Youth Justice Board.
	
		
			  Young people from Wales held in secure establishments/young offender institutions broken down by youth offending team and establishment name 
			   Bridgend  Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent  Cardiff  Carmarthenshire  Ceregdigion  Conwy and Denbighshire 
			 Oswald Unit (Castington)   
			 Rainsbrook 1  1
			 Red Bank  1 
			 Stoke Heath 1 8 
			 Thorn Cross  1 
			 Vinney Green  1 
			 Werrington  2 
			 Wetherby   
			 Hillside 1 2 
			 Parc 4 3 2
		
	
	
		
			   Flintshire  Gwynedd and Ynys Mon  Merthyr Tydfil  Monmouthshire and Torfaen  Neath Port Talbot  Newport 
			 Oswald Unit (Castington) 1  
			 Rainsbrook 2 1 
			 Red Bank 1  
			 Stoke Heath 3 2 
			 Thorn Cross  1 1
			 Vinney Green   
			 Werrington 1  
			 Wetherby  1 
			 Hillside1  3 
			 Parc   1  2 2 
		
	
	
		
			   Pembrokeshire  Powys  Rhondda Cynon Taff  Swansea  Vale of Glamorgan  Wrexham 
			 Oswald Unit (Castington)   
			 Rainsbrook  2 
			 Red Bank   
			 Stoke Heath 2 1 
			 Thorn Cross   
			 Vinney Green   
			 Werrington 1 2 
			 Wetherby   
			 Hillside1 1  
			 Parc 1  2 3

Young Offenders

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what secure accommodation  (a) young adults and  (b) juvenile offenders attached to Welsh youth offending teams are held; in what secure accommodation such offenders were held in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The following tables show, by custodial establishment, how many young people from Wales were held in the secure estate for children and young people on 24 November in each year from 2000 onwards. Only those over-18s who were serving a juvenile sentencesuch as a detention and training orderare included. Those over 18 who are sentenced as young adults are held in the young adult estate and are the responsibility of a Probation Board rather than a Youth Offending Team.
	
		
			  Young people from Wales by establishment at 24 November 2000 
			   Number 
			 Ashfield 80 
			 Brinsford 10 
			 Eastwood Park 1 
			 Hassockfield STC 2 
			 Hillside 9 
			 Lancastar Farms 1 
			 Medway 1 
			 Parc 1 
			 Rainsbrook 4 
			 Red Bank Community Home 1 
			 Redsands Secure Unit 1 
			 Stoke Heath 14 
			 Thorn Cross 2 
			 Vinney Green 1 
			 Werrington 1 
			 Aylasbury 1 
			 Briars Hey 1 
			 Portland 14 
			 Styal 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Young People from Wales by establishment at 24 November 2001 
			   Number 
			 Ashfield 101 
			 Aycliffe Young People's Centre 1 
			 Barton Moss Secure Unit 1 
			 Brinsford 2 
			 Eastwood Park 1 
			 Hillside 8 
			 Hunterscombe 2 
			 Kyloe House 1 
			 Lancaster Farms 2 
			 New Hall 4 
			 Rainsbrook 5 
			 Redlands Secure Unit 2 
			 Stoke Heath 20 
			 Swanwick Lodge 1 
			 Thorn Cross 1 
			 Vinney Green 2 
			 Warren Hill 2 
			 Werrington 1 
			 Portland 8 
			 Stamford House 1 
			 Stoke House 2 
			 Thornbury House 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Young people from Wales by establishment at 24 November 2002 
			   Number 
			 Ashfield 84 
			 Atkinson Unit 4 
			 Barton Moss Secure Unit 3 
			 Brinsford 10 
			 Castington 1 
			 Clare Lodge 1 
			 Clayfields House 1 
			 Eastwood Park 2 
			 Feltham 1 
			 Hillside 14 
			 Hindley 2 
			 Huntercombe 9 
			 Parc 10 
			 Rainsbrook 5 
			 Red Bank Community Home 3 
			 St. John's Centre (Tiffield) 1 
			 Stoke Heath 23 
			 Vinney Green 3 
			 Warren Hill 3 
			 Werrington 1 
			 Wetherby 2 
			 Onley 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Young people from Wales by establishment at 24 November 2003 
			   Number 
			 Ashfield 78 
			 Atkinson Unit 3 
			 Aycliffe Young People's Centre 1 
			 Barton Moss Secure Unit 2 
			 Brinsford 9 
			 Castington 1 
			 East Moor 1 
			 Eastwood Park 2 
			 Hillside 14 
			 Hindley 1 
			 Huntercombe 12 
			 Market Street 1 
			 Orchard Lodge 1 
			 Parc 11 
			 Rainsbrook 6 
			 Red Bank Community Home 2 
			 Stoke Heath 27 
			 Sutton Place 1 
			 Swanwick Lodge 1 
			 Thorn Cross 2 
			 Vinney Green 5 
			 Warren Hill 1 
			 Werrington 2 
			 Briars Hey 2 
			 Onley 1 
			 Stamford House 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Young people from Wales by establishment at 24 November 2004 
			   Number 
			 Ashfield 78 
			 Atkinson Unit 4 
			 Barton Moss Secure Unit 5 
			 Brinsford 6 
			 Carlford Unit (Warren Hill) 1 
			 Castington 1 
			 Dyson Hall 1 
			 Eastwood Park 5 
			 Hillside 13 
			 Hindley 1 
			 Huntercombe 5 
			 New Hall 2 
			 Oakhill STC 1 
			 Parc 19 
			 Rainsbrook 1 
			 Red Bank Community Home 1 
			 St. John's Centre (Tiffield) 1 
			 Stoke Heath 19 
			 Thorn Cross 2 
			 Vinney Green 4 
			 Werrington 3 
			 Wetherby 2 
			 Bullwood Hall 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Young people from Wales by establishment at 24 November 2005 
			   Number 
			 Ashfield 64 
			 Atkinson Unit 1 
			 Dyson Hall 1 
			 Eastwood Park 1 
			 Feltham 1 
			 Hassockfield STC 1 
			 Hillside 6 
			 Hindley 1 
			 New Hall 2 
			 Parc 29 
			 Rainsbrook 5 
			 Red Bank Community Home 1 
			 Stoke Heath 20 
			 Vinney Green 1 
			 Warren Hill 1 
			 Werrington 4 
			 Wetherby 3 
		
	
	
		
			  Young people from Wales by establishment at 24 November 2006 
			   Number 
			 Ashfield 82 
			 Barton Moss Secure Unit 1 
			 Brinsford 5 
			 Carlford Unit (Warren Hill) 1 
			 Dyson Hall 1 
			 Eastwood Park 3 
			 Feltham 2 
			 Hassockfield STC 2 
			 Hillside 9 
			 Hindley 5 
			 Hunterscombe 1 
			 Lancaster Farms 3 
			 Medway 1 
			 New Hall 1 
			 Oakhill STC 3 
			 Oswald Unit (Castington) 1 
			 Parc 20 
			 Rainsbrook 6 
			 Rainsbrook Mother and Baby Unit 1 
			 Red Bank Community Home 2 
			 Stoke Heath 17 
			 Thorn Cross 3 
			 Vinney Green 1 
			 Werrington 6 
			 Wetherby 1

Young Offenders

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young people serving detention and training orders who were designated as having been vulnerable by the Youth Justice Board were transferred into the adult prison estate in each month since 2004.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The statistics requested are not collected in the format requested and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.
	When any young person is being considered for a move into the over-18 estate, a full review of suitability is conducted by the Prison Service and the Youth Justice Board. The review looks at possible risk factors, such as child protection concerns, risk of self-harm or suicide, concerns about bullying and mental health issues; and considers whether the young person will be able to cope in the new setting. Moves will not be approved if there are significant risk factors.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Bonus Payments

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what her latest estimate is of the total amount paid to civil servants in end-of-year bonus payments in each year since 2001.

Edward Miliband: Departments have delegated authority to determine their own pay and grading arrangements below the senior civil service that are tailored to meet their business needs. Detailed information on bonus payments for civil service staff below the SCS is not held centrally and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost. For information on bonus payments made by individual Departments to their staff I refer the hon. Member to the answers provided by Departments in response to questions from the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable).
	The pay arrangements for the senior civil service are managed within a central framework set out by the Cabinet Office. Within that framework, Departments, agencies and the devolved Administrations in Scotland and Wales are encouraged to make full use of the flexibility available to them to tailor the arrangements to suit their particular operational and business needs.
	The Cabinet Office issues guidance each year, in the light of the Government's response to the recommendations of the independent Senior Salaries Review Body, setting out the parameters within which performance related pay awards for the senior civil service are to be made for that year. In the SCS bonuses are used as the main way of rewarding in year delivery of objectives. The bonus pot was introduced in 2002 and since then we have recommended, and the SSRB have supported, increases in the size of the bonus pot as a proportion of the total pay bill so that by 2006 it stood at 6.5 per cent, of the overall pay bill(1).
	We intend to increase the size of the bonus to 10 per cent. of the pay bill, to reinforce our commitment to improved service delivery performance through meaningful incentives that have to be re-earned each year and to allow greater differentiation in the awards to reflect the heterogeneity of individual achievement, particularly between the strongest and weakest deliverers. The table provides estimates of total expenditure on bonuses within the SCS from 2002.
	(1) Cabinet Office (2005) 'Government Evidence to the Senior Salaries Review Body of the Senior Civil Service in 2005' December, pp.8 and 10 [Online] Available at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/performance/publications/doc/eveidence_ssrb_2005.doc
	
		
			   Total bonuses ( million) 
			 2002 4.3 
			 2003 8.3 
			 2004 9.9 
			 2005 13.4 
			 2006 17.6

Civil Servants: Pay

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many separate  (a) bargaining units and  (b) pay grade structures there were in the UK civil service in each year since 2001.

Edward Miliband: Departments have delegated authority to determine their own pay and grading arrangements below the senior civil service that are tailored to meet their business needs. Under the delegated arrangements, comprehensive information on grading structures in individual departments is not held centrally and could only be collected at disproportionate cost. Similarly, it is for each department to determine what bargaining arrangements are appropriate for their own organisation and their executive agencies. Cabinet Office records indicate that there are about 80 bargaining units currently operating across the civil service and there were about 100 in 2002. Cabinet Office has no records for the other years requested.
	Pay for senior civil servants is not delegated to departments and is not subject to collective bargaining. The number of SCS pay bands was reduced from nine to four in 2001; this remains the current position.

Consultants

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which 10 consultancy fees charged to her Department since May 1997 were the most expensive.

Edward Miliband: The information requested for the Cabinet Office is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Staff

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many temporary employees were contracted to work for her Department in 2005-06; and what the total cost of such employees was in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 1997-98.

Edward Miliband: Departmental records are not structured to identify the number of temporary employees who were contracted to work for the Department in 2005-06. It is also not possible to readily identify the cost of temporary employees in 2005-06 and 1997-98 from the Department's accounting system. This information is therefore only available at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Studies

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which studies have been commissioned by her Department from  (a) external agencies,  (b) companies,  (c) academics and  (d) individuals in 2006.

Edward Miliband: The Cabinet Office does not hold the information in the requested format and it can be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Duchy Council

Ben Chapman: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the professional background was of each member of the Duchy Council appointed in each of the last three years.

Edward Miliband: In the last three years Her Majesty the Queen has made four new appointments for the Duchy of Lancaster Council. These are shown in the table.
	
		
			  January 2005  
			 Ms Anne Richards Chief Investment OfficerAberdeen Asset Managementexperience in financial asset management. 
			 Mr Hugh Seaborn Chief ExecutiveThe Portman EstateChartered Surveyor with experience in commercial property investment. 
			  1 June 2006  
			 Mr Mark Hudson Chairman of Game Conservatory Trust, Ex National President of CLA (2005) and private farmer in Walesexperience in farming and the rural economy. 
			  1 September 2006  
			 Mr Robert Hildyard Q.C. Attorney General to the Duchy of Lancaster. 
		
	
	During the period Sir Michael Bunbury, Sir Christopher Howes, and The hon. Mr Justice Briggs retired as members of the Duchy Council.

Procurement Projects

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the 20 largest procurement projects initiated by her Department since May 1997 have been; what the  (a) original budget,  (b) cost to date and  (c) consultancy fees have been; and what the final cost was of each project which has been completed.

Edward Miliband: I am unable to provide this information as the cost of procurement projects are not centrally identifiable and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

V Charity

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster who was responsible for appointing the Chairman of the charity, v; and what role Ministers had in approving this appointment.

Edward Miliband: The appointment of Rod Aldridge as Chairman of the charity v was made by Ian Russell, in his capacity as Chairman of the Russell Commission together with a team of young people who had been involved in the work of the Russell Commission's youth advisory board.
	Ministers had no role in the appointment process.

V Charity

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what appointments to the v charity were the responsibility of the Government.

Edward Miliband: None. The charity is independent of Government and all initial appointments were made by Ian Russell after consultation with the young people involved in the Russell Commission Youth Advisory Board. Further appointments are made in partnership by the chair, chief executive and the v20 Youth Advisory Board.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Bonus Payments

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria a civil servant in his Department must fulfil  (a) to be considered for a bonus on top of their regular salary and  (b) to be awarded a bonus.

Anne McGuire: All members of the senior civil service (SCS) are considered for a bonus on top of their regular salary. In line with Cabinet Office guidance bonuses are awarded to between 60 per cent. and 75 per cent. of SCS members. Awards are made by relatively assessing individuals in relation to others in the same SCS pay band. In determining performance-related bonus payments, the following criteria were used to award bonuses this year:
	Performance against agreed priority business objectives or targets;
	Total delivery record over the year;
	Relative stretch; and
	Response to unforeseen events which affected performance.
	Below SCS, the Department for Work and Pensions currently operates two separate bonus schemes, which may be paid on top of regular salary: These are the individual performance bonus scheme and the special bonus scheme.
	Individual Performance Bonus: All staff have the potential to earn an individual performance bonus, based on the performance level they receive through our performance management system. Individual performance is relatively assessed at the end of the performance year. There are 4 performance levels. In 2006 people who achieved one of the top 3 levels received a bonus, determined by their grade and performance level.
	Special Bonus: The special bonus scheme enables line managers to award a one-off bonus to recognise and reward exceptional personal or team achievement. Detailed criteria are determined by local managers. Awards may be cash or vouchers but the amounts that can be awarded are modest because the total expenditure over the year is limited to 0.25 per cent. of the manager's staffing budget.
	All bonuses are non-consolidated and so they are not added into salary and are not pensionable.

Carbon Monoxide

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will assess the merits of making carbon monoxide detectors compulsory for rented accommodation;
	(2)  what penalties may be imposed on landlords in cases where carbon monoxide poisoning has been caused by inadequately maintained heating equipment.

Anne McGuire: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) strongly recommends the use of approved, audible carbon monoxide (CO) detectors in all homes that use gas appliances. Such detectors should not be regarded as a substitute for competent maintenance and annual safety checks of gas equipment by a CORGI-registered installer. These primary safeguards are required by law in rented accommodation.
	This recommendation, applying to all homes, was most recently publicised by the Chief Executive of HSE on 24 October 2006.
	There is a range of penalties that the courts can impose if a landlord is guilty of an offence. Magistrates courts can impose a fine of up to 5,000 on summary conviction. The Crown Court can impose an unlimited fine. If death results from CO poisoning, the Crown Prosecution Service can decide to bring manslaughter charges for which life imprisonment is the maximum penalty.

City Strategy Partnerships

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the formula is for distributing the savings for his Department arising out of city strategy partnerships.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 4 December 2006
	Negotiations to develop ways to reward city strategy areas are ongoing.

Crisis Loans

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the processing time for crisis loan applications was in each region in each of the last 12 quarters for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what the processing time for Crisis Loan applications was in each region in each of the last 12 quarters for which figures are available. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The time it takes to process Crisis Loan applications is measured by counting the average length of time taken to clear all claims processed within a set time period. The measure is referred to as the Average Actual Clearance Time.
	The expected service level for Crisis Loans in 2006/07 is two days, although applications for living expenses should be cleared, whenever possible, on the same day as the application is made.
	The information in the table covers the last ten quarters. Data prior to quarter 2 in 2004 were not collated by Government Office Region.
	
		
			  Regional quarterly crisis loan average actual clearance times in days 
			   2004  2005  2006 
			   Quarter 2  Quarter 3  Quarter 4  Quarter 1  Quarter 2  Quarter 3  Quarter 4  Quarter 1  Quarter 2  Quarter 3 
			 East Midlands 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.6 1.3 1.3 
			 East of England 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.5 
			 London 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.3 
			 North East 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.3 
			 North West 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 
			 Scotland 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.3 
			 South East 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.7 1.4 1.7 1.9 2.0 
			 South West 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.4 
			 Wales 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.7 2.0 1.4 
			 West Midlands 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.7 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.4 
			 National 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 
		
	
	I hope this is helpful.

Departmental Secondments

Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which staff in his Department are seconded from organisations with charitable status; and which have  (a) costs and  (b) salaries met (i) in part and (ii) in whole (A) from public funds and (B) by the charity from which they are seconded.

Anne McGuire: The Department cannot answer the question as none of the requested information is readily available/held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Electricians

Stephen Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many qualified electricians are unemployed in the north-east region.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 4 December 2006
	Looking at claims by occupation (usual and sought) shows that in October 2006 there were 220 people in the north-east on jobseeker's allowance (JSA) whose occupation is electrician/electrical fitter.

Employment

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many local areas he has worked with to draw up a local full employment plan addressing all barriers to full employment in their local area.

Jim Murphy: 'Full employment plan' is not a term that is commonly used. Jobcentre Plus is fully involved in the employment strands of the 87 Local Area Agreements already signed, and the remaining 63 currently under negotiation in England. This involvement includes contributing to local employment plans as and where they are being developed. Through its membership of Local Strategic Partnerships in England, Community First Partnerships in Wales and Local Economic Fora in Scotland, Jobcentre Plus works to ensure that employment is high on the agenda.

Freedom of Movement of Workers

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what qualifications are required for membership of the EC Advisory Committee on the Freedom of Movement of Workers.

James Plaskitt: The Advisory Committee on Freedom of Movement for Workers is composed of six members for each member state, two of whom represent the Government, two the trade unions and two the employers' associations. No other qualifications are required.
	The Committee is set up under Articles 24 and 25 of Regulation (EEC) No. 1612/68, on freedom of movement of workers within the European Community. Its role is to assist the European Commission in the examination of any questions arising from the application of the Treaty in matters concerning the freedom of movement of workers and their employment.

Gender Equality

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that private organisations contracted to work  (a) in his Department and  (b) for non-departmental public bodies and Executive agencies for which his Department is responsible are aware of their duties under gender equality legislation when exercising public functions on behalf of public bodies.

Anne McGuire: The discrimination provisions in the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 apply to both the public and private sectors. Gender equality considerations can be built into contracts between public authorities and their private sector contractors where they are relevant to the function or service being carried out.
	From 6 April 2007, private sector organisations, when carrying out functions of a public nature on behalf of public authorities, will be required to comply with the general gender equality duty which is to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and harassment and promote equality of opportunity between women and men.
	To assist us, our non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies in ensuring that private sector contractors providing goods, works or services on our behalf, are aware of their obligations under the general gender equality duty we will refer to the Equal Opportunities Commission's (EOC) Code of Practice of the Gender Equality Duty and any further EOC guidance when available.

Gender Equality

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to carry out gender impact assessments of his Department's major policy developments and new legislation.

Anne McGuire: From April 2007, my Department will carry out gender impact assessments of major policy developments and new legislation in line with the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Public Authorities)(Statutory Duties) Order 2006 (No. 2930). We shall refer to Equal Opportunities Commission's (EOC) Code of Practice on the Gender Equality Duty and their specific guidance when available.

Housing Benefit

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of cutting the withdrawal rate of housing benefit from 65 per cent. to  (a) 60,  (b) 55,  (c) 50,  (d) 45 and  (e) 40 per cent.; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The information is in the table.
	
		
			  Estimated cost of cutting the withdrawal rate of housing benefit 
			  Changing the housing benefit withdrawal rate from 65 per cent. to:  Estimated annual cost in annually managed expenditure ( million) 
			 60 per cent. 100 
			 55 per cent. 220 
			 50 per cent. 360 
			 45 per cent. 530 
			 40 per cent. 740 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 million or 10,000 beneficiaries and are for Great Britain. 2. The impact is estimated using the Department's Policy Simulation Model for 2006-07, using data from the 2004-05 Family Resources Survey up-rated to 2006-07 prices, benefit rates and earnings levels, and is calibrated to latest published forecasts and policies. 3. Results are subject to sampling and reporting errors and estimation assumptions, and are therefore indicative only. No behavioural changes are assumed.

Housing Benefit Fraud

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the value of housing benefit fraud in England in each year.

James Plaskitt: The level of housing benefit fraud and error in Great Britain has been continuously measured since 2002-03. The latest estimates are for the year from October 2004 to September 2005. The percentage of expenditure overpaid due to fraud is estimated to have dropped by 38 per cent. since 2002-03. Estimates of both the percentage and amount of housing benefit expenditure overpaid due to fraud in England are presented in the following table. When comparing levels of fraud in different years it is more appropriate to look at percentages, as the amount overpaid is also affected by changes in rents and caseload.
	
		
			  The level of fraud in housing benefit in England since April 2002 
			  Period  Estimated percentage overpaid  Estimated amount overpaid ( million) 
			 April 2002March 2003 1.8 160 
			 April 2003March 2004 1.1 100 
			 April 2004March 2005 1.1 110 
			 October 2004September 2005 1.0 100 
			  Notes: 1. These estimates are based on a sample of housing benefit cases, so are subject to a large degree of uncertainty. 2. Around 15 per cent. of housing benefit cases lie outside the scope of this sample, so the estimates do not cover the whole of HB expenditure. 3. Further information on housing benefit fraud and error is available from National Statistics reports at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd2/fraud_hb/fraud_hb.asp

Industrial Injuries Benefit

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claiming industrial injuries benefit were  (a) in work,  (b) out of work and of working age and  (c) retired in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The available information is in the table.
	
		
			  Cases where industrial injuries disablement benefit/reduced earning allowance was in payment at March 2006 
			   Number 
			 Working age 180,680 
			 Over state pension age 157,145 
			 Total 337,825 
			  Notes: 1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest five. 2. Table shows all cases; industrial injuries disablement benefit and reduced earnings allowance. 3. State pension age has been defined as females 60 and over and males 65 and over. 4. It is not possible to distinguish between people in work and out of work.  Source: Information Directorate, Industrial Injuries Computer System, 100 per cent. data.

Jobcentre Plus

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department takes to ensure that Jobcentre Plus staff do not advise couples that they would be better off financially if they separated; and what action is taken if Jobcentre Plus staff are found to be advising couples to separate for financial reasons.

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what steps are taken to ensure that Jobcentre Plus do not advise couples that they would be better off financially if they separated; and what action is taken if Jobcentre Plus staff are found to be advising couples to separate for financial reasons. This is something, which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	I can assure you that Jobcentre Plus does not encourage couples to separate in order to receive more benefits. Our focus is to ensure that people/families receive the benefit for which they are entitled and the support required to enable them to compete effectively in the labour market. This support extends to partners of people claiming benefits.
	All cases are dealt with on an individual basis according to their circumstances. There are different rules for different benefits which will be explained to customers. Our staff are fully trained to understand what is required of them. Where these standards are not met action may be taken under our performance management procedures.

Jobcentre Plus

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what targets are set for Jobcentre Plus contact centre telephone operators.

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what targets are set for Jobcentre Plus Contact Centre telephone operators. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus Contact Centre operators' individual performance is measured against a set of internal benchmarks. These benchmarks contribute to internal Contact Centre Key Performance Indicators, which support Jobcentre Plus Key Management Indicators and Jobcentre Plus Targets, and are kept under close review.
	The enclosed table details the benchmarks that operators are currently being measured against for each of the services delivered by our contact centres.
	I hope this is helpful.
	
		
			  Jobcentre Plus contact centre operators internal benchmarks 
			  Service  Benchmark 
			  First Contact and Jobseeker Direct  
			 First contact services, whereby customers call to make a new claim to working age benefits. First Contact average call handling time (length of phone call with customer)12 minutes (BT sites); eight minutes (EDS sites). (The service offered to customers is identical but the technology accounts for time differently. This will be resolved in 2007.) 
			 Jobseeker Direct-provides support and information to customers on applying for vacancies advertised with Jobcentre Plus Jobseeker Direct average call handling timefour minutes. 
			  90 per cent. accuracy (average over the course of a year) against the Call Assessment Framework. 
			   
			  Employer Direct  
			 Employers provide information to operators in order to advertise their vacancies with Jobcentre Plus To achieve an average call handling time of eight minutes and 30 seconds. 
			 (In some of our Employer Direct sites staff handle Jobseeker Direct calls as well as Employer Direct) Employer Directto spend an average of 70 per cent. of the time on the call with 30 per cent. for wrap up time. Wrap up time allows agents to deal with the admin work associated to the service they are delivering. 
			  Overseas Vacancy Teamto spend an average of 75 per cent. of the time on the call with 25 per cent. as wrap up time. 
			  Jobseeker Directto achieve an average call handling time of four minutes. 
			  Jobseeker Directto ensure an average quality score of 97 per cent. is achieved for inbound and outbound telephone contact. 
			  To ensure that vacancies input to Labour Market System meet the minimum average National Quality Benchmarks of 95 per cent. accuracy. 
			  To ensure that inbound and outbound telephone contact meets the standards required as measured through the appropriate Call Assessment Framework. 
			   
			  National Insurance Allocation (appointment booking and admin only)  
			  To achieve an average call handling time of 13 minutes 30 seconds for the first three months and 12 minutes 30 seconds after a three month consolidation period. 
			  To achieve an average of 70 per cent. of the time on the call with 30 per cent. for wrap up time. 
			  To ensure that inbound and outbound telephone contact meets the standards required as measured through the appropriate Call Assessment Framework. 
			  95 per cent. accuracy is achieved on completed documentation and Labour Market System client records. 
			  To achieve 95 per cent. accuracy during Call Assessments. 
			  Quality data standards of form DCI1B (form to be completed when NINO is required and agents are to make sure that the correct information is held) to achieve 95 per cent. accuracy. 
			  Benefit inspired applicationsNINO appointment booked on same day as receipt. 
			  80 per cent. of calls answered within 20 seconds. 
			  Abandonment rate of less than 5 per cent. 
			  National Benefit Fraud Hotline  
			  90 per cent. of calls answered within three seconds. 
			  Nine minutes average call handling time. 
			  87 per cent. talk time. 
			  3 per cent. wrap up time. 
			  Abandoned calls/nuisance calls no higher than 20 per cent. 
			  95 per cent. quality success rate. 
			  70 per cent. of referrals to be passed through to fraud sectors. 
			  48 hour turnaround from taking call to passing referrals through to appropriate fraud sector. 
			  95 per cent. successful Departmental Central Index trace.

Jobcentre Plus

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which Jobcentre Plus offices were closed in each of the last four years, indicating in each case whether prior to closure the office was open full-time or part-time.

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking which Jobcentre Plus Offices were closed in each of the last four years, and in each case whether prior to closure the office was open full-time or part-time. This is something, which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	I enclose a list of the offices that were closed and have indicated in each case whether the office was open full-time or part-time prior to closure. I have placed a copy in the House of Commons Library.
	Firstly, as part of the rollout of the new Jobcentre Plus network we have rationalised our estate. We inherited around 1500 offices from the former Employment Service and Benefits Agency, several of which were unsuitable for the new processes, or were in the wrong place or in a poor state of repair. Often, the former agencies had offices situated at either end of the High Street and, in some instances, neither was suitable for conversion to Jobcentre Plus so we closed one or both of them. In each District we undertook detailed service delivery planning exercises in consultation with local stakeholders, identifying the sites which we would convert to the new standard and those, which needed to close. We also explained how, particularly in more rural locations, we would offer outreach services (flexible service delivery).
	Secondly, as a result of our programme to centralise benefit processing we have identified sites which will no longer be viable once processing work has been taken away from them.
	Thirdly, we have been looking very closely at the need for public-facing sites in a number of locations. The increased availability of new channels means that Jobcentre Plus customers can access services directly by telephone or Internet rather than needing to call into one of our offices. Reducing expenditure on our office network is part of our wider strategy for focusing resources more effectively on frontline advisory services to help our customers move into work.
	The list of closures should also be set against the 837 offices that we have rolled out to date under our restructuring programme, plus over 150 locations where we have installed flexible service delivery arrangements.
	I would emphasise that the closure of any of our offices involves consultation with local stakeholders, including MPs, and putting in place suitable alternative arrangements for delivering services to our customers.
	I hope this is helpful.

Mental Health

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that more staff in job centres are trained to deal with clients suffering from mental illness.

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning the steps he is taking to ensure that more staff in Jobcentres are trained to deal with clients suffering from mental illness. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	As part of the new entrant learning routeway, Jobcentre Plus staff who work directly with customers are provided with Equal Opportunities learning during the first three months in their role. This learning covers support for people with mental illnesses to ensure that our staff deal professionally with all customers.
	Additionally Advisers, as part of their job specific learning routeway, receive a two-day learning event for dealing with customers with mental illness. The content of the event is reviewed by specialist organisations such as MIND, to ensure Advisers are equipped with the specialist skills they need to support this particular customer group.
	The specific learning needs of existing staff are formally reviewed on a half yearly basis. In the review, consideration is given to increasing staff awareness of disability issues. Where a skills gap is identified, the individual will be provided with the appropriate learning as a matter of priority.
	I hope this is helpful.

Office for Disability Issues

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which Ministers from  (a) the Department of Health,  (b) the Department for Education and Skills,  (c) the Department of Trade and Industry,  (d) the Department for Transport,  (e) the Department for Communities and Local Government and  (f) the Department for Work and Pensions sit on the ministerial group that oversees the work of the Office for Disability Issues.

Anne McGuire: The named Departments are represented by the following Ministers:
	 (a) Department of HealthParliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Care Services);
	 (b) Department for Education and SkillsParliamentary Under-Secretary of State;
	 (c) Department of Trade and Industryhas no representative at ministerial level but officials will be involved in discussions as and when necessary;
	 (d) Department for TransportParliamentary Under-Secretary of State;
	 (e) Department for Communities and Local GovernmentParliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Women and Equality);
	Department for Communities and Local GovernmentParliamentary Under-Secretary of State; and
	 (f) Department for Work and PensionsMinister for Disabled People; who is also the chairperson of the group.

Pathways to Work

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the proposed timetable is for the roll-out of contracts awarded under the Pathways to Work scheme.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 30 November 2006
	By the end of the year, the Pathways to Work programme will be operating in around 40 per cent. of the country, delivered by Jobcentre Plus. For the remaining 60 per cent. we intend that Pathways will be delivered primarily through contracted providers, from the public, private or voluntary sectors. This will be done in two phases, the first of which will be completed by October 2007. We intend that Phase 2, containing the remaining districts, will be rolled out by April 2008.

Reduced Earnings Allowance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are in receipt of reduced earnings allowance; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: As at March 2006 there were 133,610 industrial injuries reduced earnings allowance cases in payment.
	 Note:
	Figures have been rounded to the nearest five.
	 Source:
	Information Directorate, Industrial Injuries Computer System, 100 per cent. data.

Remploy

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether there are measures in place to prevent Remploy factories employing able-bodied people when there are unemployed disabled people who have the necessary skills.

Anne McGuire: The Department receives assurance that Remploy actively seek to recruit disabled people for all their vacancies. The company will only employ non-disabled people where they need to fill a vacancy to ensure business continuity and there are no existing employees or disabled people with the necessary skills available who can fill that vacancy. Remploy have systems in place to ensure that disabled people have priority in applying for any vacancies with the company.

Social Fund

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria are used to determine whether Social Fund budgeting loans should be awarded.

James Plaskitt: Social Fund budgeting loans are awarded subject to consideration of the following criteria:
	Whether the applicant has received a qualifying benefit(1) for at least 26 weeks;
	Whether the application is for the intermittent expenses(2) within the scheme's scope;
	Whether the applicant is single, part of a couple, or either with children;
	The amount of funding in the loans budget at the time;
	The amount of existing budgeting loan debt owed by the applicant;
	The amount by which the applicant's/partner's savings exceed 1,000 (2,000 if either is 60 or over);
	Whether the award plus any existing budgeting and crisis loan debt exceeds 1,500;
	Whether the amount applied for, or the award remaining after the adjustments above, is less than 100;
	Whether the award, plus any other budgeting and crisis loan debt held, can be repaid in 104 weeks at a weekly rate affordable(3) by the applicant.
	(1) Income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance and pension credit.
	(2) Furniture and household equipment; clothing and footwear; rent in advance/removal expenses to secure fresh accommodation; improvement, maintenance and security of the home; travelling expenses; expenses associated with seeking or re-entering work; HP and other debts (for expenses associated with the preceding six categories only).
	(3) Administrative policy is that this rate will not be more than 20 per cent. of weekly available benefit income. Available benefit income is income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance or pension credit plus any child tax credit and child benefit.

Social Fund

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assistance his Department offers to people who require immediate financial assistance but have been on benefits for less than 36 months.

James Plaskitt: The Social Fund provides for immediate financial assistance in the form of repayable crisis loans, which are available to any one whether or not they are in receipt of any benefit. A crisis loan is interest free and is paid to help meet an immediate short-term need in an emergency or a consequence of a disaster.
	Repayable budgeting loans are available to help with routine lump sum expenses. They are interest free and to be eligible for consideration, applicants have to have been in receipt of a qualifying benefit, income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance or pension credit, for at least 26 weeks.
	Applicants are also eligible to be considered for a non-repayable community care grant, whose overall aim is to promote care in the community. However, a separate application would need to be made for such a grant. The majority of applicants have to be receiving a qualifying benefit on the date of the application but there is special provision for those applicants shortly due to be released from residential or institutional care.

Social Fund

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the ability of families with children in receipt of benefits to make loan repayments to the Social Fund.

James Plaskitt: No specific assessment has been made of the ability of families with children in receipt of benefits to make loan repayments to the Social Fund.
	Assessment of an individual applicant's ability to repay a discretionary Social Fund award is part of the statutory decision-making process followed by officers acting on behalf of the Secretary of State and takes into account the applicant's family circumstances.

Social Fund

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which criteria are used to determine whether Social Fund partial cash awards are made.

James Plaskitt: As part of the decision making process, considering the following criteria may result in a partial award on a qualifying discretionary social fund community care grant (CCG), crisis loan (CL) or budgeting loan (BL) application:
	Whether a particular need is excluded (CCG, CL);
	The budget position (all types);
	Existing budgeting loan debt (BL);
	Minimum award amounts (CCG, BL);
	Maximum debt limits (BL, CL);
	Capital resources over a certain limit (BL, CCG);
	Any available resources (CL);
	Possibility of third party help (CCG, CL);
	Affordability (BL, CL).
	Any award that is for less than the amount applied for is a partial award. Applicants can apply for any amount of money they choosewhich is why partial awards are so common.

Social Fund

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how benefits staff  (a) interpret and  (b) apply the inability to pay criterion in cases where applications for Social Fund loans are rejected on that criterion.

James Plaskitt: All benefits staff who are decision makers must follow the directions and have regard to the guidance issued by the Secretary of State.
	Applicants for budgeting loans are not offered more than can be repaid, together with any existing social fund loans, over a period of 104 weeks. Where appropriate, applicants for budgeting loans are given choices in the weekly repayment rateso that they can decide what amount of loan they can afford to repay within the 104-week period.
	Applicants for crisis loans who have no source of income at all and no foreseeable prospect of having an income from which to repay, may be refused a crisis loan. Such considerations are a question for the judgment of the decision maker based on all circumstances of the case.

Social Fund

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Social Fund was set up; and when it began offering loans.

James Plaskitt: The Social Fund was set up under the Social Security Act 1986; it began offering loans and awarding community care grants from April 1988.

Social Fund

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effects on families in receipt of state benefits of  (a) making loans and  (b) awarding grants under the Social Fund.

James Plaskitt: The Social Fund plays an important role in providing interest free loans or grants to assist the most vulnerable people with one-off items of expenditure.
	In 2005-6 almost 3 million grants, loans and other payments were awarded through the regulated and discretionary Social Fund, with a total value of over 900 million (this figure excludes winter fuel payments of 1.9 billion and cold weather payments of 8 million).
	The discretionary Social Fund provides valuable support to help the poorest and most vulnerable people meet certain needs, making around 2.5 million payments a year. An independent review of the running of the Social Fund by the National Audit Office published in 2005 found that, in general, the Social Fund is reaching those people who are in most need.
	We have undertaken a number of Social Fund research projects to inform our understanding of the impact of the discretionary schemes and our thinking on both short and long term ideas for reform and how best the needs of people on low incomes can be met.
	Findings from the Department for Work and Pensions Research Reports 139 and 210 are available in the House of Commons Library.

Social Fund

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research his Department has commissioned on the effectiveness in meeting its objectives of the Social Fund in the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The Department for Work and Pensions has published the following research on the Social Fund:
	Saving and Borrowing research report 125 published 2000
	Social Fund Use Amongst Older People in Britain Research report 172, July 2002
	Experiences and Consequences of being refused a Community Care Grant Research report 210, May 2004
	The use of the Social Fund by Families with Children Research report 139, July 2004
	Perspectives of Social Fund loans and third party deductions Research report 240, April 2005
	The discretionary Social Fund and Money Management Research report 241, April 2005
	This research, which is available in the House of Commons Library, provides an evidence base used to develop longer term approaches to Social Fund reform. It helps us to assess the extent to which the Social Fund contributes to wider DWP and government objectives and to identify where improvements might be made.

Social Fund

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how the repayment rate for Social Fund loans is calculated.

James Plaskitt: Standard repayment rates are calculated as a percentage of available weekly benefit income. Weekly benefit income includes income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance or pension credit plus any child tax credit and child benefit.
	There are three rates5 per cent., 10 per cent. and 12 per cent.depending on the extent of other financial commitments.
	Depending on individual circumstances, other non-standard rates can be set up to the maximum rate of 20 per cent. of weekly income.

Social Fund

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average percentage is of weekly income of families with one or more children in receipt of a Social Fund loan which is spent on repaying Social Fund loans.

James Plaskitt: For budgeting loans, the available information is based on the repayment amount agreed by an applicant when a loan is accepted. Easier repayment terms for loans were introduced for applications received on or after 3 April 2006. For budgeting loans agreed on these repayment terms, the average percentage of weekly income of families with one or more children which was to be spent on repaying the loan was 9.2 per cent.
	The equivalent information for crisis loans is not available.

Social Fund

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of the Social Fund's ability to help families on low incomes meet minimum income standards.

James Plaskitt: No such assessment has been made as the Social Fund is not intended to address minimum income standards. The Government do not use a minimum income standard to assess families' needs.

State Pension Deferment

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) male and  (b) female state retirement pensioners who have deferred payment beyond state retirement age; and how many have claimed (i) a lump sum and (ii) an enhanced weekly pension after doing so.

James Purnell: As at March 2006 the total number of State pension recipients who are in receipt of basic state pension increments (as a result of deferring their state pension) is 1,216,500 made up of 240,800 men and 975,800 women.
	Lump sum payments have only been available from April 2006. The figures which include lump sum payments are scheduled to be published in February 2007.
	 Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	2. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
	3. Figures are subject to sampling variation.
	4. The figures are from March 2006 and therefore do not include any lump sum payments.
	 Source:
	Information Directorate 5 per cent. sample data adjusted in line with WPLS data.

Statutory Paternity Pay

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the annual cost of statutory paternity pay in the UK was in each year since 2003-04; and what estimate he has made of the cost for each year from 2006-07 to 2009-10 in nominal terms.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
	The 2002 statutory paternity pay regulatory impact assessment (RIA) estimated the annual amount of statutory paternity pay reclaimable from the Exchequer at around 57 million. This assumed 70 per cent. of the total number eligible to receive statutory paid paternity leave would take it up.
	The Maternity and Paternity Rights and Benefits Survey 2005 found around 80 per cent. of the 415,000 eligible fathers surveyed had used at least some of their statutory entitlement, suggesting a higher take-up rate than estimated in the RIA. Although the take-up has been higher than originally estimated, not all fathers take their full entitlement to two weeks paid paternity leave. Therefore we anticipate that the costs of statutory paternity pay are around the level presented in the RIA.

Statutory Paternity Pay

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many men in the UK received statutory paternity pay in each year since 2003-04; and what estimate he has made of the likely number in each year from 2006-07 to 2009-10.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
	We estimate that around 415,000 fathers are eligible for statutory paternity pay each year.
	The Maternity and Paternity Rights and Benefits Survey 2005 found around 80 per cent. of fathers surveyed had used at least some of their statutory entitlement. We expect take-up to continue at a similarly high level.

Winter Fuel Payments

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in each constituency in Scotland were in receipt of winter fuel payments in each year since 2000; and how much was claimed in each constituency in each year.

James Purnell: The information that is currently available has been placed in the Library. Information on the amount of winter fuel payments paid in each constituency in Scotland for the years 2004-05 and 2005-06 is not currently available as age-related payments were combined with winter fuel payments in those two years. I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as the information becomes available.

HEALTH

Appointments Commission

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many appointments the Appointments Commission is responsible for; and how many of those appointments are held by people with  (a) political affiliations to (i) Labour, (ii) the Conservatives, (iii) the Liberal Democrats, (iv) other parties and  (b) no declared political affiliation.

Rosie Winterton: This information is available from the independent Appointments Commission.

Birthing Facilities

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether  (a) strategic health authorities,  (b) primary care trusts and  (c) hospitals hold the home addresses of expectant mothers; and what account is taken of such information when planning the optimum location of birthing facilities.

Ivan Lewis: Strategic health authorities and primary care trusts do not hold the home addresses of expectant mothers. National health service trusts hold the names and addresses of expectant mothers who have booked with their maternity services. It is for local primary care trusts and NHS maternity care providers to determine the optimum location of birthing facilities. Since January 2003, NHS organisations have had a duty to involve and consult patients, the public and their representatives in the planning and development of services, and to consult them on changes to the operation of services.

Bishop Auckland Hospital

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) initial estimated cost was and  (b) current projected cost is of Bishop Auckland hospital under the private finance initiative.

Andy Burnham: The full annual charge agreed upon at the time of contract signature in May 1999 for the Bishop Auckland General hospital private finance initiative (PFI) scheme was 8.1 million per annum. This is uprated annually by the retail price index (RPI) and the cost in 2005-06 was 9.4 million per annum. In addition to changes as a result of RPI, the payment mechanism in a PFI contract contains a volume element under which the quantity of variable items provided by the private sector contractor and charged to the trust, such as meals or linen, is directly related to the throughput of patients.

Blind People: Wirral

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of blind people living in  (a) Wirral and  (b) Wirral South.

Ivan Lewis: The number of people registered as severely sight impaired (blind) in Wirral council with social service responsibilities was 1,270 at 31 March 2006.
	Data at constituency level are not centrally available.

Breast Cancer Screening

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps the Government plan to take to increase the take up of breast cancer screening amongst women over 70; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the effect of the ageing of the population on the demand for breast screening; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: There is now clear evidence showing the benefits of breast cancer screening on a population basis for women aged 50 to 70. The evidence for inviting women aged over 70 on a population basis is not so clear.
	That is why research has been commissioned on behalf of the advisory committee on breast cancer screening (ACBCS) to bring more clarity to this area. A final report of the research is due shortly, and based on this the ACBCS will advise on a way forward.
	Women aged over 70 can self-refer for free three-yearly screening and women who have already participated in the programme should be informed of this right after the age of 70.
	The availability of screening for older women is widely publicised. In particular, we have collaborated with Age Concern to produce the leaflet, 'Over 70? You are still entitled to breast screening'. The leaflet is widely available in general practitioner surgeries, health centres, breast screening units and Age Concern outlets and as with 'Breast ScreeningThe Facts' it allows women aged over 70 to make an informed choice on whether to be screened or not.
	We are aware that there are a growing number of women becoming eligible for breast screening, as women born in the post-war baby boom reach their 50th birthdays and we expect this increase to peak in 2015, resulting in a 20 per cent. increase in women aged 50 to 70 in England between 2005 and 2025.
	Breast screening capacity in the National Health Service needs to increase to meet this demographic challenge, and the cancer programme board are considering what action may be taken in this area. It is for primary care trusts and cancer networks, in collaboration with local stakeholders, to decide how local services are organised and patients supported.

Cancelled Operations: Hertfordshire

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in  (a) North East Hertfordshire and  (b) West Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust areas have had operations cancelled at short notice in the last 12 months.

Andy Burnham: The Department does not collect the number of operations cancelled at short notice. The Department collects the number of operations cancelled at the last minute for non-clinical reasons. A 'last minute cancellation' is a cancellation on the day patients were due to arrive, after the patient has arrived in hospital or on the day of their operation. Data are available on an NHS Trust rather than PCT basis.
	
		
			  Cancelled operations for non clinical reasons, NHS organisations in England, Q3 2005-06 to Q2 2006-07 
			  Organisation  Number of last minute cancellations for non clinical reasons 
			 East and North Hertfordshire NHS trust 968 
			 West Hertfordshire hospitals NHS trust 805 
			  Source:  Department of Health, QMCO

Cancer Treatment

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps have been taken to encourage cancer networks to implement her Department's advice on the development of low dose rate brachytherapy services for localised prostate cancer in England.

Rosie Winterton: The advice was e-mailed on 22 November 2006 to cancer network lead clinicians and lead directors. The covering note that accompanied the advice stated:
	The uptake of the advice in this framework is not mandatory. However, the NHS is encouraged to take it into account as it develops, provides or commissions LDR prostate brachytherapy services.

Care Homes

Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which registered care homes for the elderly have a religious ethos; and what the average number of residents in each such care home was in the latest year for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: I understand from the chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that the information requested is not collected.
	In January 2007, CSCI will publish information on the number of care homes and places in England and how they perform against national minimum standards and regulations in its State of Social Care report.

Carers

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to extend direct payments to carers.

Ivan Lewis: Direct payments have already been extended to carers. The Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000 empowered local authorities to make direct payments to carers (including 16 and 17-year-old carers) for the services that meet their own assessed needs.

Carers

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has for the carers grant to local authorities beyond 2007-08; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The local government finance settlement was announced on 28 November 2006. Details of the carers grant allocations for 2007-08 can be found in LASSL 2006(1), which has been placed in the Library.
	Subsequent allocations will be made in line with the outcome of the comprehensive spending review 2007, which we anticipate will be announced next summer.

Cholesterol

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effect of the Quality and Outcome framework on cholesterol level since its introduction.

Rosie Winterton: The quality and outcome framework (QOF) measures achievement against a scorecard of 146 indicators, with 76 indicators in the clinical domain. It includes three quality indicators for control of cholesterol in patients with coronary disease, stroke and diabetes. The following tables show the percentage of available points achieved against these indicators across England demonstrating that general practice practices are making good progress in improving control of cholesterol in patients with cardiovascular disease.
	The applicable QOF indicators and the overall percentages are in the following tables.
	
		
			  CHD 8Percentage of patients with coronary heart disease whose last measured total cholesterol (measured in the last 15 months) is 5mmol/l or less 
			  QOF Year  Overall percentage CHD 8 for England 
			 2004-05 72 
			 2005-06 78 
		
	
	
		
			  Stroke 8Percentage of patients with TIA or stroke whose last measured total cholesterol (measured in the last 15 months) is 5mmol/1 or less 
			  QOF Year  Overall percentage stroke 8 for England 
			 2004-05 63 
			 2005-06 72 
		
	
	
		
			  DM 17Percentage of patients with diabetes whose last measured total cholesterol within previous 15 months is 5mmol/1 or less 
			  QOF Year  Overall percentage DM17 for England 
			 2004-05 72 
			 2005-06 79 
			  Notes: Some patients may be excluded from the indicator because of exceptions and exclusions. Only patients registered with a general practice participating in QOF will be included.

Choose and Book

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) hospital trusts and  (b) independent sector treatment centres are using the choose and book system; and how many are mental health trusts, broken down by region.

Ivan Lewis: The table shows how many of each type of organisation have used choose and book up to 19 November 2006, by strategic health authority.
	
		
			  Organisations using choose and book system as at 19 November 2006 
			  Strategic health authority  Foundation trusts  Foundation mental health trusts  NHS trusts  NHS mental health trusts  Independent sector treatment centres  Other independent sector providers  Care trusts  Primary care trusts  Total 
			 East Midlands 2  7 3 3 2  21 36 
			 East of England 6 1 11 1  1 1 9 23 
			 London 7  26 212 40 
			 North East 5  3  1 3  5 12 
			 North West 7  20 4 1 4  24 53 
			 South Central 1  10  4   13 27 
			 South East Coast 2  11  1 6  9 27 
			 South West 6  12 2 2 3 1 21 41 
			 West Midlands 2  18 2 2 3  21 46 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 8  7 1 2 3  16 29 
			  46 1 125 15 16 25 2 151 381

Clinical Training

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are in place to co-ordinate clinical training supervised by strategic health authorities to ensure consistency of  (a) quantity and  (b) quality of training.

Rosie Winterton: Each strategic health authority (SHA) has a work force lead and a postgraduate deanery as well as a senior officer responsible for commissioning. These functions work together at an SHA level and also meet at a national level. A work force review team based in the national health service and funded by the Department informs their work. A work force programme group allows work force leads to discuss important matters with senior officials in my Department. Departmental officials also work closely with postgraduate deans and commissioning leads.
	SHAs decide on the quantity of training available and this is approved and quality assured by the appropriate regulatory or professional body. For example, the postgraduate medical education and training board holds regular discussions with postgraduate deans to ensure that its standards are met.

Community Pharmacies

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the trend in the number of community pharmacies in England receiving payments for delivering agreed additional hours between 2004-05 and 2005-06, as shown in table 12 of the General Pharmaceutical Service (Annual Bulletin) 2005-06; and how many community pharmacies provided additional agreed hours in  (a) 2004-05 and  (b) 2005-06, broken down by primary care trust area;
	(2)  how many additional agreed hours each primary care trust agreed with community pharmacies in  (a) 2004-05 and  (b) 2005-06.

Andy Burnham: The proportion of community pharmacies overall providing additional agreed hours for example, in the evening or at weekends declined from 45.5 per cent. in 2004-05 to 31.9 per cent. in 2005-06.
	This continues a trend seen in previous years although the change between 2004-05 and 2005-06 is more marked. However, this change may be offset by 1,432 new out of hours services provided by pharmacy contractors as a local enhanced service for the first time in 2005-06. Some of these new services may have replaced previous agreements for additional hours.
	The change may also be attributed to the increase in a community pharmacy's minimum contracted hours from 30 to 40 hours per week from 1 April 2005 and to those contractors who have opened pharmacies for at least 100 hours per week under reforms to the control of entry system introduced from April 2005.
	Tables will be placed in the Library showing the number of community pharmacies in England receiving payment for additional agreed hours as at 31 March 2005 and 31 March 2006 by primary care trust (PCT) area.
	These tables update information at national level contained in table 12 of the statistical bulletin General Pharmaceutical Services in England and Wales 1996-97 to 2005-06, first published by the Information Centre in November 2006. These data are compiled from annual returns from primary care trusts and have not previously been published by PCT.
	In compiling these data, it is apparent that PCTs have interpreted the information requirements differently. Some PCTs stated the total number of community pharmacies providing both types of additional agreed hours services, while other PCTs stated the number of community pharmacies providing any such additional service. Caution should therefore be exercised in comparing individual PCT data. This consistency issue refers only to the final column in each of the tables being placed in the Library. However, this does not affect the information set out in table 12 of the statistical bulletin relating to the numbers of pharmacies receiving payment for agreed additional hours which is considered to be accurate.
	Information requested on additional agreed hours each PCT has agreed with community pharmacies is not held centrally.

Community Pharmacies

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the  (a) optimum and  (b) actual level of enhanced services being commissioned by primary care trusts under the community pharmacy contract;
	(2)  how many local enhanced services primary care trusts agreed with community pharmacies in each primary care trust area in 2005-06.

Andy Burnham: Table 9 of the NHS Information Centre's statistical bulletin General Pharmaceutical Services in England and Wales 1996-972005-06 shows that in 2005-06, the first year of operation, 16,920 local enhanced services were provided by community pharmacies under the new contractual framework. Appendix A to the bulletin breaks this information down by primary care trust. Out of 303 primary care trusts, 241 (80 per cent.) commissioned such services. A copy of the bulletin has been placed in the Library.
	Primary care trusts determine which, if any, of these services they commission in the light of their assessment of pharmaceutical needs, available resources and health priorities locally.

Delayed Discharge: Cornwall

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital patients in Cornwall had their discharge delayed by  (a) up to eight days,  (b) between eight and 14 days,  (c) between 14 and 28 days and  (d) more than 28 days in the last year for which figures are available.

Andy Burnham: The information is not collected centrally.

Dentistry

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that NHS dental provision is available for those who are unable to travel to a dentist's surgery because of disability or ill health.

Rosie Winterton: Primary care trusts are responsible for commissioning dental care services to reflect local needs and priorities. This includes commissioning appropriate dental care, such as domiciliary services, for patients with special needs.

Dentistry

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many units of dental activity in each band was recorded by the Business Service Authority in each month since the start of the system, broken down by primary care trust.

Rosie Winterton: The information has been placed in the Library.
	Activity reported in the first few months of the new dental contracts was significantly affected by the time-lags between dentists completing courses of treatment, dentists reporting courses of treatment to the NHS Business Services Authority (BSA), and the BSA processing these data. These time lags will also have varied between primary care trusts (PCTs) depending on the BSA schedule group to which they belong.
	Minus figures may appear due to adjustments that may be made to the previous months data.
	Sources:
	The Information Centre for health and social care NHS Business Services Authority (BSA)

Dentistry

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) adults and  (b) children are registered with NHS general dental practices in York; and how many were registered at York practices in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is as follows.
	 Old contract
	
		
			  General dental services (GDS) and personal dental services (PDS). Selby and York primary care trust (PCT), patient registrations, adults and children as at 31 March 1997 to 2006 
			   Adults  Children 
			 1997 106,119 39,220 
			 1998 109,152 41,916 
			 1999 103,319 42,260 
			 2000 104,489 42,040 
			 2001 107,829 42,276 
			 2002 110,148 41,783 
			 2003 113,355 41,966 
			 2004 117,127 43,230 
			 2005 111,872 42,641 
			 2006 109,539 42,932 
			  Notes: 1. PDS schemes had varying registration periods. To ensure comparability with corresponding GDS data, PDS registrations are estimated using proxy registrations, namely the number of patients seen by PDS practices in the previous 15 months. PDS proxy registrations were not estimated for periods before September 2003actual registrations were used before this date. 2. Data for 2003 and earlier do not include those PDS schemes that do not have any registrations (e.g. dental access centres), and is therefore not directly comparable with later data. 3. Selby and York PCT covers the York area.  4. The boundaries used are as at 31 March 2006. 
		
	
	With the introduction of the new contract on 1 April 2006 a new measure was introduced, patients seen within the last 24 months.
	This measure has been used for the first time as a count of the number of distinct patient identities which have been processed during the last 24 months. Each identified patient is counted only once even if he or she has received several episodes of care or treatment over the measured period.
	This measure is not directly comparable with the patient registrations data collected under the old contract as it was measured over a 15-month period rather than 24 months.
	Patients have been identified by using surname, first initial, gender and date of birth. Each unique patient ID is normally assigned to the dental contract (and therefore PCT) against which the most recent claim for routine treatment was recorded in the 24-month period.
	 New contract
	
		
			  Patient seen in the last 24 months in York and Selby PCT 
			   Number 
			 March 2006 161,155 
			 June 2006 158,916 
			 September 2006 157,484 
			  Notes: 1. The boundaries used are as at 30 September 2006. 2. Currently the Patients seen data is not available at adult/child split. 3. Selby and York PCT covers the York area.  Sources: The Information Centre for health and social care NHS Business Services Authority (BSA)

Dentistry

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are on a waiting list for a dentist in  (a) Hemsworth constituency,  (b) Yorkshire and  (c) England.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not available centrally.

Dentistry

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost was of a visit to a dentist's surgery in  (a) 1997,  (b) 2001 and  (c) 2005.

Rosie Winterton: Information is available by course of treatment. Information on the average cost of a national health service (NHS) course of treatment for an adult charge payer is set out as follows. Treatment is free for all children and those adults who are exempt from NHS dental charges on income or other grounds.
	
		
			  General Dental Services (GDS): average cost of an adult course of treatment (CoT) in England as at year ending 31 March each year 
			   
			   Average cost 
			 1997 33.58 
			 2001 35.45 
			 2005 38.55 
			  Sources: 1. The Information Centre for health and social care 2. National Health Service (NHS) Business Services Authority (BSA)  Note: The average cost of a GDS adult course of treatment for the year ending 31 March each year has been calculated by dividing the total adult gross fees for April to March for each year by the total number of adult courses of treatment for the same time period.

Dentistry

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of dentists in England  (a) accept NHS patients and  (b) exclusively accept NHS patients.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not available in the form requested. Information is held centrally on the number of dentists on open national health service (NHS) contracts. As at the end of September 2006 there were 20,285 dentists reported on open NHS contracts. Dentists providing NHS treatment are free to provide private services also. Information is not held centrally on the number of dentists who choose to provide either only NHS or only private treatment.

Dentistry

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding for NHS dentistry is for 2006-07; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The dental funding allocated to primary care trusts (PCTs) and strategic health authorities (SHAs) in 2006-07 is designed to support overall expenditure of 2,398 million on primary dental care services, with 1,765 million coming from PCTs and the balance from patient charge income. Precise levels of in-year expenditure and charge income will depend on a range of variables including the service levels (i.e. the annual units of dental activity) agreed by PCTs for each local contract with dentists, the relative proportions of chargeable and non-chargeable treatments carried out during the year, and the time taken to commission new services where there is a turnover in contracts.
	The Government have also made available 40 million of capital resources as part of a two-year, 100 million programme of capital investment to improve infrastructure in national health service (NHS) primary dental care services.
	PCTs decide locally what funding should be drawn from their total NHS resources for hospital and community based dental services, or, if appropriate, to supplement primary care provision.

Dentistry

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists there are per head of population in each primary care trust area in the East Midlands.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Dentists (performers) on open NHS contracts per 100,000 population in England and East Midlands strategic health authority (SHA) by primary care trust (PCT) as at 30 September 2006 
			   Dentists (performers) per 100,000 population 
			 England 40.2 
			 East Midlands SHA 36.6 
			 Daventry and South Northamptonshire PCT 29.1 
			 Central Derby PCT 84.1 
			 Mansfield District PCT 53.7 
			 Newark and Sherwood PCT 46.3 
			 West Lincolnshire PCT 33.2 
			 Lincolnshire South West Teaching PCT 35.8 
			 Chesterfield PCT 64.2 
			 Gedling PCT 30.6 
			 Amber Valley PCT 38.1 
			 North Eastern Derbyshire PCT 28.1 
			 Melton, Rutland and Harborough PCT 43.3 
			 Leicester City West PCT 51.7 
			 Nottingham City PCT 59.6 
			 Erewash PCT 75.5 
			 Bassetlaw PCT 51.7 
			 Broxtowe and Hucknall PCT 56.3 
			 Greater Derby PCT 28.3 
			 Eastern Leicester PCT 55.5 
			 Ashfield PCT 32.3 
			 Rushcliffe PCT 49.5 
			 Derbyshire Dales and South Derbyshire PCT 33.4 
			 East Lincolnshire PCT 29.1 
			 High Peak and Dales PCT 56.0 
			 Hinckley and Bosworth PCT 30.6 
			 Charnwood and North West Leicestershire PCT 44.1 
			 South Leicestershire PCT 32.8 
			 Northamptonshire Heartlands PCT 41.4 
			 Northampton PCT 45.9 
			  Notes: 1. Performers are defined as a dentist who has been set up on the Dental Practice Division (DPD), of the BSA, Payments online (POL) system by the PCT to work under an open contract as at 30 September 2006. Data provided are a count of the individuals listed as performers on open NHS contracts within the PCT, including orthodontists. 2. Figures for the numbers of dentists at specified dates may vary depending on the date the figures are compiled. This is because the BSA may be notified of joiners or leavers up to several months, or more, after the move has taken place. The data provided consists of that reported to the BSA by 2 November 2006 3. England and SHA population data have been estimated using Office for National Statistics 2005 mid-year population estimates based on the 2001 census. PCT data have been estimated using 2004 mid-year population estimates as these are the latest available at this level.  Sources: 1. The Information Centre for health and social care 2. NHS Business Services Authority

Dentistry

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to underwrite any shortfall in NHS dental charges income to allow each primary care trust fully to spend its budget allocation for NHS dentistry.

Rosie Winterton: Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for managing net expenditure on dental services. If a PCT finds that patient charge income is below the expected levels, it is up to the PCT to work with dental providers locally to identify the reasons for this and, where appropriate, take corrective action.

Dentistry

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health at what point her Department expects to reclaim underspends from primary care trusts from their 2005-06 NHS dentistry budget allocations.

Rosie Winterton: Primary care trusts (PCTs) did not receive primary care dental allocations in 2005-06. PCTs assumed full responsibility for local commissioning of primary care dentistry and received devolved primary care dental allocations with effect from 1 April 2006.

Dentistry

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists there are in the St. Albans constituency; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The numbers of dentists at constituency level are not readily available. Numbers of dentists at primary care trust (PCT) level, as at 30 September 2006, have been published by The Information Centre for health and social care on 29 November 2006.
	As at 30 September 2006, there were 89 dentists (performers) on open national health service contracts within St. Albans and Harpenden PCT.
	 Notes:
	1. The data sources are The Information Centre for health and social care and the NHS Business Services Authority (BSA).
	2. Performers are defined as a dentist who has been set up on the dental practice division of (DPD) of the BSA, payment online (POL) system by the PCT to work under an open contract as at 30 September 2006. Data provided are a count of the individuals listed as performers on open contracts within the PCT, including open orthodontists.
	3. Figures for the numbers of dentists at specified dates may vary depending on the dates the figures are compiled. This is because the BSA may be notified of joiners or leavers up to several months, or more, after the move has taken place. The figure provided consists of that reported to the BSA by 2 November 2006.

Departmental Staff

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether people employed  (a) through employment agencies and  (b) on a consultancy basis are included in the calculations for the full-time equivalent staff mentioned in her Department's annual report.

Ivan Lewis: Neither of these groups of people is included in the full-time equivalent staff numbers in our departmental annual report. The figures only include civil servants employed on a permanent or a temporary basis.

Departmental Statistics

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which statistics have been put forward by her Department for consideration to become new national statistics in each of the last five years; and how many statistics sets her Department has produced in total in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: The current list of National Statistics produced by both the Department and by The Information Centre for health and social care can be found on the National Statistics website at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk/about/ns_ons/nsproducts/default.asp
	A list of changes to the scope of National Statistics additions and withdrawals in each of the last five years can be found in the relevant National Statistics annual report available on the National Statistics website at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=1051
	In addition to National Statistics, both the Department and The Information Centre for health and social care publish a wide range of other numerical information in a variety of forms including other data produced from management and administration sources and in research reports. There is no consistent definition of the term statistics sets and no centrally held information on the total published in each year on this basis.

Dr. David Southall

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many babies in the care of the NHS have required resuscitation as a result of non-therapeutic interventional research managed by Dr David Southall.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not collected centrally.

Drug Abuse

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated cost was of drug counselling and drugs support services in each year since 2002.

Caroline Flint: The pooled treatment budget (PTB) is allocated to drug action teams for the treatment of substance misuse. We are unable to identify how much of this money is allocated for drug counselling and drug support services, since these decisions are made locally. Expenditure on drug treatment since 2002, including the PTB, is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Expenditure on drug treatment (excluding prison-based treatment) 
			   Central Government funding (pooled treatment budget)  Local funding (local authorities, primary care trusts, police, probation  Total 
			   Allocation ( million)  Percentage increase  Allocation ( million)  Allocation ( million) 
			 2002-03 191 37 131 322 
			 2003-04 236 23 200 436 
			 2004-05 253 7 204 457 
			 2005-06 300 18 208 508 
			 2006-07 385 28 (1)212 597 
			 (1) (estimate)Local funding increases based on two per cent. inflation increase.

Drug Abuse

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many drug-related deaths were recorded in each year since 2002.

Caroline Flint: The number of deaths in England related to drug misuse is shown in the table.
	
		
			   Total 
			 2002 1,456 
			 2003 1,181 
			 2004 1,334 
			  Note: Data taken from the Office for National Statistics data, Health Statistics Quarterly 29, Spring 2006

Drug-related Mental Illness

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged 15 to 25 years were treated for drug-related mental health problems in each year since 2002.

Caroline Flint: Information is not available in the requested format. Information on the number of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) for both the primary diagnosis and all diagnoses for drug related mental health problems is shown in the table. Please note that the information includes mental and behavioural disorders due to use of tobacco and alcohol.
	
		
			  Count of FCEs for drug related mental health problems for patients aged 15-25, NHS Hospitals, England 
			  ICD-10 codes  2004-05  2003-04  2002-03 
			   Primary diagnosis  All diagnoses  Primary diagnosis  All diagnoses  Primary diagnosis  All diagnoses 
			 Drug related mental health problems including alcohol and tobacco 7,284 26,011 6,508 23,113 5,832 20,213 
			 Notes:  1. Finished consultant episode (FCE)  A FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider.  2 Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.  3. All diagnoses count as episodes.  These figures represent a count of all FCEs where the diagnosis was mentioned in any of the 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in a HES record.  4. Diagnosis (primary diagnosis)  The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.  5. The ICD-10 codes used in this analysis were as follows:  F11Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of opioids.  F12Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cannabinoids.  F13Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of sedatives or hypnotics.  F14Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cocaine.  F15Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of other stimulants, including caffeine. F16Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of hallucinogens.  F18Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of volatile solvents. F19Mental and behavioural disorders due to multiple drug use and use of other psychoactive substances.  F55Abuse of non-dependence-producing substances.  F10Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol.  F17Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of tobacco.  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics, The Information Centre for health and social care.

General Practitioner Referrals

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether it is her intention that NHS trusts should not assume GP referral as authorisation to treat a patient, as stated in the London strategic health authorities' document entitled 'London wide commissioning: primary care trust commissioning intentions 2006-07' of 27 February 2006.

Rosie Winterton: The commissioning controls for this year were set out in the 'The NHS in England: the operating framework for 2006-07'. The statement in the document 'London wide commissioning: primary care trust commissioning intentions 2006-07', published on 27 February 2006, was in the context of ensuring financial balance. Where providers attract patients through choice and other primary care-generated referrals, primary care trusts (PCTs) are expected to meet these commitments. If provider activity exceeds the planned levels by more than an agreed margin, PCTs should work with practices and service providers to take appropriate action to ensure services are provided within current waiting time standards, having full regard to clinical priorities.

Health Bodies

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are in place for thanking out-going members of primary care trusts and strategic health authorities.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has delegated the appointments function to the Appointments Commission. Valediction letters were despatched to all outgoing chairs and non-executives of strategic health authorities and primary care trusts in September 2006.

Health Service Facilities

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what new health service facilities have been established in  (a) Gateshead primary care trust and  (b) Blaydon constituency since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: New facilities and services in the Gateshead primary care trust area since 1992 include the walk in centre (opened July 2004) on the site of the Bensham hospital as well as the Teams medical practice which moved into new purpose built premises in December 2005.
	New pharmacies have opened at Boots in Retail World Gateshead, and in Sainsburys in Gateshead.
	Other achievements include:
	an out-of-hours service for people not registered with a dentist;
	integrated community equipment services for people to use at home following illness or disability;
	the expert patient programme to support people suffering from a chronic disease to develop new techniques that will help them manage the impact of their disease on a day-to-day basis;
	improved local services for people with low vision by setting up a low vision centre at Bensham hospital;
	improved retinal screening for people with diabetes;
	the single assessment process for older people;
	a new condom distribution scheme for the under 25s in Gateshead;
	a new health trainers project to encourage people to be more engaged with improving their own health;
	a triage service in paediatric speech and language therapy which includes a partial booking system; and
	a programme for overweight children called 'Balance It!getting the balance right' working with children and families.
	New facilities and services in Blaydon area include the new Whickham cottage medical centre (2002), new general practitioner (GP) services in Ryton (2003-04) following the recruitment of two additional GPs, along with improvements to the surgery accommodation. The GP services in Ryton is now a main practice as opposed to the former branch practice arrangement. New facialities in Chopwell (The Pioneer centre) became available in 2004. These include podiatry, speech and language therapy as well as family planning services.
	New optometry practices have opened in Crawcrook and Birtley. Gateshead PCT has also provided funding for a number of GP practices to make improvements to their premises to meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act such as electrically operated doors, new seating, signage, ramps, call bells and induction loops.
	The PCT is looking at ways to help provide new health facilities for GPs and PCT staff in Ryton, Crawcrook and Wrekenton. It is also supporting the provision of new replacement medical facilities for several practices, including Glenpark medical practice in Dunston, Central Gateshead medical group, Oxford Terrace, Bewick Road in central Gateshead and St. Albans medical group in Felling.

Hospital Running Costs

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the running costs are for a full year's operation, including loan repayments for capital investment and PFI costs of  (a) Queen's hospital, Oldchurch  (b) King George's hospital, Redbridge and  (c) Whipps Cross hospital, Leytonstone.

Andy Burnham: This information is not held centrally. However, trust level data can be found in the income and expenditure analysis of each of the trusts' last full year's audited accounts, which will be available from Barking Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust and Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust.

Hospital Travel Costs Scheme

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of NHS trusts' compliance with departmental guidance on the Hospital Travel Costs scheme.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has not made an assessment of national health services trusts' compliance with guidance on the hospital travel costs scheme (HTCS). It is for individual trusts to decide how best practice guidance is implemented locally.
	As part of the Our health, our care, our say White Paper commitment to expand the HTCS to include referrals by health care professionals, we will be consulting on other issues such as alternative ways to raise awareness of the HTCS.

Hospital-acquired Infections

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many products manufactured to tackle hospital-acquired infections have been referred to the Rapid Review Panel; and how many recommendations the Panel has made, broken down by category of recommendation.

Andy Burnham: To date 168 products have been referred to the rapid review panel. The following table shows this broken down by category of recommendation and product type.
	
		
			Recommendation  
			  Products  Total Number  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  Number received 
			 Cleaning products/disinfectants 40 1 4 4 11 13 7 0 0 
			 Surface coating products 24 0 0 11 5 8 0 0 0 
			 Fabrics 8 0 0 1 3 2 2 0 0 
			 Hand cleansing products 9 1 5 0 0 3 0 0 0 
			 Air decontamination products 22 0 2 8 6 5 1 0 0 
			 Other 65 1 7 14 9 16 7 4 7 
			 Total: 168 3 18 38 34 47 17 4 7 
			  Recommendations: 1. Basic research and development is valid and in-use evaluations have shown benefits. 2. Basic research and development is complete but evaluations/trials are needed in an NHS clinical setting. 3. Potentially useful but insufficiently validated, more research and development is required. 4. Not a significant improvement on the product available and it is unlikely to contribute to reducing healthcare associated infection. 5. Insufficient clarity/evidence presented to enable full review of product. 6. An already well established product. 7. The product is not related to infection control procedures.

Hospital-acquired Infections

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she has  (a) commissioned and  (b) supported on the detection and control of causes of hospital-acquired infections.

Andy Burnham: The main agency through which the Government supports medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC is an independent body funded by the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Innovation.
	The MRC funds a considerable programme of research that underpins scientific understanding of hospital acquired infections including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other antibiotic resistant pathogens. The programme's research portfolio includes two relevant projects:
	researchers at Nottingham University have found that signalling molecules produced by another bacterium block communication, toxin production and the growth of Staphylococcus; and
	researchers at the MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London, have discovered the structure of metallo-beta-lactamases, a 'superfamily' of enzymes involved in the development of antibiotic resistance.
	These findings are aiding the ongoing search for new antibiotics to control hospital-acquired infections.
	The MRC is also currently taking forward discussions with the Health Protection Agency and the academic community on how to co-ordinate and stimulate high impact research in this area.
	The Department has for some years recognised the importance of the control of hospital acquired infection, and the threat to public health posed by the increase in antimicrobial resistance. As part of a wide-ranging approach to these issues, the Department set up an advisory group to identify research priorities in 1999. The group's report, published in 2001, made recommendations for future research that led to a research programme that is currently under way.
	In 2003 the Department published Winning Waysworking together to reduce healthcare associated infection in England, a report that laid out a strategic approach to dealing with health care associated infections, including recommendations for further research. The report placed particular emphasis on activity aimed at preventing the occurrence and spread of infection.

Hospital-acquired Infections

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much her Department has committed to spend on tackling hospital-acquired infection in each year since the launch of the initiative to tackle such infections on 1 September 2004; and how that spending has been allocated.

Andy Burnham: We do not allocate specific funds to tackle healthcare associated infections as this is part of national health service mainstream activity.

Identity Cards

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the Home Secretary on the use by the NHS of identity cards as NHS entitlement cards.

Rosie Winterton: The Home Secretary is aware of the Department's interest in the potential use of identity cards in the national health service, through routine discussions about matters of common interest.

Imaging Scans

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the 20 week maximum wait for imaging scans from April has the status of a Government target; which imaging scans are included for the purposes of measuring success in meeting this maximum wait; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: No, the choice of scan initiative is not a target.
	The national health service is working to the December 2008 referral-to-treatment target of 18 weeks. Intermediate stage-of-treatment milestones have been set such that diagnostic waits should be less than: -
	26 weeks by March 2006 for MRI and CT scans;
	13 weeks by March 2007 for all diagnostic tests; and
	six weeks by March 2008 for all diagnostic tests.
	The choice of scan initiative is designed to support delivery of these milestones by offering patients who do not have an appointment scheduled within a maximum time the choice of a scan at another provider within the maximum time. Phase 1: 26 weeksapplied to MRI and CT tests from November 2005. Phase 2: 20 weekshas applied to all diagnostic imaging tests (including MRI, CT, ultrasound and DEXA) since April 2006. Phase 3: 13 weekswill apply to all diagnostic imaging tests from April 2007.
	The Department collects no specific data on choice of scan but the new national diagnostics data collection which started in January 2006, and associated census collections, show how waiting times for diagnostic tests are falling for example:
	the number of waits of over 13 weeks for diagnostic imaging tests were 36,000 in September 2006 down from 68,000 in January 2006; and
	the number of waits of over 26 weeks for diagnostic imaging tests were 4,900 in September 2006 down from 16,700 in January 2006.

Independent Sector Treatment Centres

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance she has issued to NHS trusts on NHS staff members who express a wish not to be seconded to independent sector treatment centres.

Rosie Winterton: A jointly agreed HR framework for wave one of this independent sector treatment centres programme was published in January 2005 following consultation both nationally and locally and copies are available in the Library.

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the stockpile of oseltamivir for use in the event of an influenza pandemic is complete.

Rosie Winterton: We have purchased 14.6 million treatment courses of oseltamivir, which is enough to treat 25 per cent. of the population. Our stockpile was completed in September.

Influenza

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her Department has any plans to stockpile the drug Relenza.

Rosie Winterton: Consideration is being given to increasing our antiviral stockpile, including purchasing alternative antivirals. In particular, we are looking at Relenza as a possible back up to Tamiflu.

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to stockpile  (a) Relenza and  (b) alternative antivirals for use in the event of an influenza pandemic.

Rosie Winterton: We are currently looking at Relenza as a possible back up to Tamiflu.
	The only other antiviral available is amantadine. We are not currently planning to purchase this, but our antiviral strategy remains under review.

Influenza

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what preparations her Department is making against the possibility of an influenza pandemic.

Rosie Winterton: The current version of the Department's United Kingdom influenza pandemic contingency plan was published in October 2005. The plan describes the likely impact of an influenza pandemic for the UK and outlines the actions the Government and other authorities are taking to prepare for a possible pandemic, to slow down the spread of infection, minimise the health impact and minimise disruption to society.
	The plan is currently being revised. The new version will have a broader scope than just the health response and cover wider areas of national planning. It is due to be published for comment on the Department's website in early January.
	The plan and further detailed information regarding our preparedness are available in the Library and on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/pandemicflu.

Lung Disease

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients the NHS has treated for lung disease in each year since 1997; and what resources the NHS has allocated for research into and treatment of lung disease.

Andy Burnham: The number of patients the national health service has treated for lung disease in each year since 1997 is not held centrally. However, the following table provides details of how many patients the NHS has admitted to hospital where the primary diagnosis was lung disease.
	
		
			  Count of hospital admissions where the primary diagnosis was lung disease 1998-99 to 2004-05 NHS Hospital, England 
			Admissions 
			  ICD-10 codes relating to lung disease  2004-05  2003-04  2002-03  2001-02  2000-01  1999-00  1998-99 
			 A15 Respiratory TB bacteriologically and histologically confirmed 912 837 770 730 693 681 734 
			 A16 Respiratory TB not confirmed bacteriologically or histologically 1,617 1,658 1,823 1,659 1,686 1,729 1,776 
			 A19 Miliary tuberculosis 165 164 145 121 127 103 115 
			 J10 Influenza due to identified influenza virus 172 327 110 138 121 249 339 
			 J11 Influenza virus not identified 658 958 680 661 918 2,203 1,942 
			 J12 Viral pneumonia, not elsewhere classified 526 498 502 470 466 562 572 
			 J13 Pneumonia due to Streptococcus pneumoniae 2,276 1,837 1,634 1,651 1,549 1,747 2,082 
			 J14 Pneumonia due to Haemophilus influenzae 335 408 401 346 328 405 412 
			 J15 Bacterial pneumonia not elsewhere classified 3,261 2,995 3,159 2,834 2,539 2,625 3,089 
			 J16 Pneumonia due to other infectious organisms NEC 146 119 105 98 112 72 99 
			 J18 Pneumonia organism unspecified 95,141 88,896 82,053 76.797 67,787 73,710 74,984 
			 J20 Acute bronchitis 1,950 2,029 1,833 1,795 1,734 2,327 2,182 
			 J21 Acute bronchiolitis 20,835 21,162 19,957 21.162 22,874 22,086 22,328 
			 J22 Unspecified acute lower respiratory infection 81,616 78,554 72,513 72,962 69,159 79,915 80,449 
			 J40 Bronchitisnot specified as acute or chronic 1,733 1,577 1,469 1,510 1,573 1,881 1,826 
			 J41 Simple and mucopurulent chronic bronchitis 50 49 53 45 39 44 57 
			 J42 Unspecified chronic bronchitis 427 463 515 517 577 708 838 
			 J43 Emphysema 4,041 4,443 4,867 4,612 4,725 4,754 5,004 
			 J44 Other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 108,400 105,600 93,373 92,049 89,730 95,039 93,019 
			 J45 Asthma 63,422 56,698 51,601 53,400 52,706 57,057 61,666 
			 J46 Status asthmaticus 7,485 6,907 7,381 7,157 8,076 9,502 8,754 
			 J47 Bronchiectasis 6,755 6,406 5,902 5,906 5,069 4.926 4,932 
			 J60 Coalworker's pneumoconiosis 65 51 59 51 57 71 80 
			 J61 Pneumoconiosis due to asbestos and other mineral fibres 203 152 152 172 160 143 134 
			 J62 Pneumoconiosis due to dust containing silica 14 17 16 13 19 21 19 
			  
			 J63 Pneumoconiosis due to other inorganic dusts 7 18 21 25 9 9 10 
			 J64 Unspecified pneumoconiosis 77 58 74 74 66 74 115 
			 J65 Pneumoconiosis associated with tuberculosis 4 2 6 4 0 2 1 
			 J66 Airway disease due to specific organic dust 9 9 5 7 7 10 4 
			 J67 Hypersensitivity pneumonitis due to organic dust 324 278 280 234 225 206 206 
			 J68 Respiratory conditions due to inhalation of chemicals, gases, fumes and vapours 54 56 68 60 47 68 49 
			 J69 Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids 6,754 5,788 4,700 4,116 3,168 2,746 2,296 
			 J70 Respiratory conditions due to other external agents 114 101 118 89 92 95 81 
			 J80 Adult respiratory distress syndrome 187 182 205 192 218 225 212 
			 J81 Pulmonary oedema 3,227 2,835 2,851 2,859 2,826 2,770 2,697 
			 J82 Pulmonary eosinophilia, not elsewhere classified 90 91 94 117 99 94 96 
			 J84 Other interstitial pulmonary diseases 6,705 6,548 6.010 5,504 5,300 4,994 4,836 
			 J85 Abscess of lung and mediastinum 468 512 441 425 435 458 400 
			 J86 Pyothorax 2,020 2,010 1,796 1,895 1,775 1,933 1.794 
			 J90 Pleural effusion not elsewhere classified 16,435 15,160 15,111 14,822 14,546 13,967 13.369 
			 J92 Pleural plaque 433 373 357 352 337 282 291 
			 J93 Pneumothorax 7.148 6,604 6,598 6,332 6,379 6,469 6,694 
			 J94 Other pleural conditions 574 584 565 535 566 483 468 
			 J95 Postprocedural respiratory disorders NEC 1,217 1,278 1,229 1,172 1,143 1,207 1,233 
			 J96 Respiratory failure not elsewhere classified 4,587 4,106 3,889 3,563 3,028 3,205 3,241 
			 J98 Other respiratory disorders 6,494 6,391 6,249 5,957 5,722 6,099 6,406 
			 P22 Respiratory distress of newborn 5,300 5,389 4,977 5,289 5,386 5,273 5,554 
			 P23 Congenital pneumonia 205 227 232 214 207 196 192 
			 P24 Neonatal aspiration syndromes 1,093 1,070 945 1,064 1,401 1.616 1,731 
			 P27 Chronic respiratory disease originating in the perinatal period 366 349 340 324 371 317 326 
			 P28 Other respiratory conditions originating in the perinatal period 6,927 6,622 6,146 6,134 6,631 7,092 6,919 
			 Q33 Congenital malformations of lung 334 302 321 324 305 278 278 
			 Q34 Other congenital malformations of respiratory system 33 49 24 29 21 16 33 
			   473,391 449,797 414,725 408,568 393,134 422,744 426,964 
		
	
	The number of patients on the quality and outcomes framework for the only years available, 2004-05 and 2005-06, for the disease registers for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease which are the only relevant data we hold in QOF are listed in the following table.
	
		
			   Asthma  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 
			 2004-05 3,073,401 716,508 
			 2005-06 3,101,275 732,418 
		
	
	Research active NHS organisations account for their use of the research and development allocations they receive from the Department in an annual research and development report. The reports for 2005-06 show that in that year those organisations spent some 31 million on research to do with respiratory disease.
	Figures were not collected prior to that date.
	Figures for resources allocated for treatment since 1997 are not collected centrally.

Management Consultants

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of total NHS expenditure was spent on management consultants in the last period for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: The Department does not collect information from the national health service on expenditure on management consultants. While primary care trusts and NHS trusts operate within the financial framework set by the Department, they are accountable to strategic health authorities for their financial performance, not the Department, and publish their own set of annual financial accounts.

Mental Health Services

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children in Brent with mental health problems were treated on an adult ward in the last period for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not collected centrally.

Mental Health Services

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the causes of the variation in spending by primary care trusts on mental health services.

Rosie Winterton: No assessment has been made. The Audit Commission's June 2006 report, Managing finances in mental health confirms that mental health spending across all ages groups represent the largest single element of programme budget spending in the national health service (NHS), amounting to 12.2 per cent. of total NHS expenditure. It is for each PCT to determine what proportion of the resources allocated to it are spent on commissioning mental health services and the other healthcare needs of their local populations.

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by primary care trusts on treatments not approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in each year for which figures are available.

Andy Burnham: The information requested is not available.

Neurology and Epilepsy

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what framework her Department has in place for the development of general practitioners and nurses with a special interest in  (a) neurology and  (b) epilepsy.

Rosie Winterton: In April 2003 the Department published guidelines for the appointment of general practitioners with special interests in epilepsy. Those guidelines, which were endorsed by the Royal College of General Practitioners, are currently under review alongside those for other specialties. Updated and revised versions will be published in 2007.
	There are no plans to develop specific guidelines for nurses with a special interest in epilepsy, although under the 'Modernising Nursing Careers' initiative specialist nursing practice will be reviewed during the course of next year.

NHS Blood and Transplants

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the proposals of NHS Blood and Transplant, what steps she plans to take to ensure the  (a) supervision,  (b) security and  (c) protection from contamination of fixed equipment for blood donations in (i) schools and (ii) other public buildings; and whether she proposes to indemnify schools against risks associated with storing such equipment.

Caroline Flint: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for managing blood supplies in England and north Wales. It does this through the National Blood Service (NBS).
	The NBS use school sites all over the country with the agreement of local governing bodies. NBS has robust venue assessment procedures, signed off and approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority. Every site is evaluated for its clinical safety, donor safety, staff safety and public safety. Blood collection is not held in areas where children are taught. They are either in a separate area of the building, for example a shared community facility, or alternatively are held at times when the school is closed.
	NBS does not plan to have fixed equipment installed on school sites. If separate storage facilities exist, NBS may arrange to hold basic equipment such as donation beds, tables and chairs. Again, the venue would be fully risk assessed for staff, donors and public. Storage facilities would be separate, locked and under NBS' control. Blood packs containing needle sharps would be held separately in NBS temperature controlled facilities. During any blood collection session, any such equipment would be in the direct control of health care professionals.
	In view of the above, the Department does not consider it necessary to indemnify schools against risks associated with storing equipment.

NHS Estate

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much land at Stoke Mandeville hospital, Aylesbury  (a) she owns,  (b) is owned by the Buckinghamshire hospitals NHS trust and  (c) has been sold to developers within the last two years.

Andy Burnham: My right hon. Friend Secretary of State for Health and Buckinghamshire national health service trust currently own approximately 6.1 and 16.85 hectares respectively at Stoke Mandeville hospital. During the last two years, land sales to developers amounted to 0.13 and 7.72 hectares respectively.

NHS Identity

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her Department's total expenditure has been on managing the NHS identity, as explained on the website www.nhsidentity.nhs.uk, in each financial year since 1997-98.

Ivan Lewis: The national health service corporate identity was developed and introduced in 1999-2000. Cost information is available as follows:
	
		
			
			 2001-02 179,807 
			 2002-03 194,462 
			 2003-04 336,760 
			 2004-05 304,793 
			 2005-06 333,996

NHS Pension Scheme

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level of cap is of employer contributions to the NHS pension scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Current employer contribution rates to the national health service pension scheme are not capped.
	Under proposals for reform of the NHS pension scheme, on which consultation is now completed, it is proposed to cap employer contributions in future at 14.2 per cent. initially and then at 14.0 per cent. from 2016.

NHS Posts

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacant NHS posts were frozen in  (a) Surrey Primary Care Trust (PCT) and its predecessor PCT,  (b) South East Coast Strategic Health Authority (SHA) and its predecessor SHA and  (c) England in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected centrally.

NHS Staff

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) doctors,  (b) nurses and  (c) other hospital staff employed in the NHS are from India.

Rosie Winterton: Information relating to the country of origin of national health service staff is not collected centrally.

NHS Staff Earnings Survey

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to publish the NHS staff earnings survey for 2006-07; and which specific staff groups are classified as administrative and clerical in the survey.

Rosie Winterton: The Information Centre for health and social care is responsible for national health service staff earnings information. They are currently working on a methodology to extract earnings data from the electronic staff record data warehouse. It is hoped that an updated NHS staff earnings survey can be published in 2007, depending on the outcome of methodology and data quality checks being satisfactory. It is not a pre-announced publication, and as such no exact date has been set.

NHS Staff Sickness Absence

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the staff sickness absence rate has been in the NHS in each financial year since 1997-98, broken down into each major category of staff.

Rosie Winterton: The national health service sickness absence survey was first collected in 1999. It is not possible to split the rates into staff groups. The following table shows NHS sickness absence rates from 1999 to 2005.
	
		
			  NHS sickness absence rates 1999 to 2005, England 
			   Percentage 
			 1999 4.9 
			 2000 4.7 
			 2001 4.8 
			 2002 4.6 
			 2003 4.7 
			 2004 4.6 
			 2005 4.5 
			  Notes: 1. Sickness absence rate is defined as the amount of time lost through absences as a percentage of staff time available. 2. This does not cover maternity leave, carers' leave or any periods of absence agreed under family friendly/flexible working policies. 3. General practitioners and their staff are not included in the above figures. 4. The above figures are estimates as some organisations in the NHS did not provide figures for sickness absence.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care sickness absence survey.

Nurses

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many newly qualified nurses did not find work in the NHS in the last two years for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: Information relating to the number of newly qualified nurses who do not find work in the national health service is not collected centrally.

Pain Clinics

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dedicated pain clinics there are in England, broken down by  (a) NHS hospital trust and  (b) primary care trust.

Andy Burnham: The responsibility to commission appropriate pain management services based on the needs of the local population lies with primary care trusts. The Department does not collect this information centrally.

Patient Pathway Guidance

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps she is taking to encourage NHS clinicians to develop patient pathway guidance for the treatment of conditions which have not been addressed by clinical guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence;
	(2)  what patient pathway guidance NHS clinicians should follow where clinical guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence are not available;
	(3)  whether her Department recognises patient pathway guidance developed by NHS clinicians prior to clinical guidelines being developed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence for specific conditions.

Andy Burnham: The Department recognises that professional bodies and other relevant organisations continue to have a role in drawing together good practice advice on such issues where they are not the subject of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance. From time to time we work with specific professional organisations, such as the Royal Colleges, to that end. For example, to support delivery of the 18 week general practitioner referral to treatment target the Department is working with clinical leaders to identify good practice and develop high level symptom based pathways. The Royal Colleges have been invited to nominate clinical leads for each of the high volume specialties to form a clinical advisory group for this work.

Payment by Results

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether diagnostics commissioned as a direct access service, as explained on page 7 of Annex B to her Department's road-testing guidance for payment by results in 2007-08, will fall within the scope of the 18 week waiting time target.

Andy Burnham: By the end of 2008, patients on hospital consultant pathways will be treated within a maximum 18 weeks from general practitioners (GP) referral to hospital treatment. All diagnostic tests on patient pathways between GP referral to treatment including straight to test referrals for diagnostic tests as part of consultant-led pathways fall within the scope of the 18 week waiting time target.

Prescriptions

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions have been issued using the electronic prescriptions service in each month since it became operational.

Andy Burnham: The number of prescription messages issued using the electronic prescription service (EPS) are detailed in the following table:
	
		
			  Prescriptions messages 
			  Date  Number 
			 20-28 February 2005 607 
			 March 2005 3,442 
			 April 2005 2,887 
			 May 2005 3,576 
			 June 2005 3,394 
			 July 2005 6,135 
			 August 2005 6,432 
			 September 2005 14,400 
			 October 2005 46,039 
			 November 2005 69,823 
			 December 2005 68,365 
			 January 2006 87,074 
			 February 2006 153,771 
			 March 2006 260,898 
			 April 2006 262,952 
			 May 2006 439,427 
			 June 2006 662,362 
			 July 2006 816,584 
			 August 2006 1,083,300 
			 September 2006 1,362,209 
			 October 2006 1,361,877 
			 1-23 November 2006 1,174,587 
			 Total 7,890,141 
		
	
	This and other key information about deployments under the national programme for information technology are routinely published, and updated, on the programme's website at:
	www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/delivery/servicemanagement/deployment

Private Finance Initiative

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many private finance initiative schemes have been approved by her Department in the last three financial years, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Andy Burnham: The information is in the table.
	
		
			  Private finance initiative schemes that have reached financial close after full business case approval by the Department in the financial years 2004-05 to 2006-07 
			  Constituency( 1)  National health service trust  Capital value ( million)  Financial close date 
			 Ashfield Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust 326 29 October 2005 
			 Bethnal Green and Bow and Cities of London and Westminster Barts and the London NHS Trust 1,000 27 April 2006 
			 Birmingham, Edgbaston University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust 627 8 June 2006 
			 Brentwood and Ongar South West Essex Teaching PCT 30 29 June 2006 
			 Brighton, Kemptown Brighton and Sussex University NHS Trust 36 10 June 2004 
			 Cambridge Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 76 27 October 2004 
			 Daventry Northamptonshire Teaching PCT 28 3 March 2005 
			 Ipswich Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust 36 27 March 2006 
			 Kingston upon Hull, West and Hessle Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 67 21 February 2006 
			 Leeds, Central Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 265 15 October 2004 
			 Lewisham, West Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust 72 8 July 2004 
			 Manchester, Central Central Manchester and Manchester Children's Hospitals NHS Trust 512 14 December 2004 
			 New Forest, West Hampshire PCT 36 18 November 2004 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne, East and Wallsend and Newcastle upon Tyne, Central Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 299 27 April 2005 
			 Oxford, East Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust 129 13 December 2005 
			 Portsmouth, North Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust 236 12 December 2005 
			 Richmond Park Kingston Hospital NHS Trust 33 23 November 2004 
			 Sheffield, Brightside Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 35 19 December 2004 
			 St. Helens, North and St. Helens, South St. Helens Hospitals NHS Trust 338 1 June 2006 
			 (1) These are the constituencies principally affected by the scheme ie those containing a significant element of new build or refurbishment.

Psychotherapy and Counselling

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many qualified non-medical psychotherapy and counselling practitioners were employed by the NHS in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The table shows the number of qualified psychotherapy staff in the national health service in England from 2001 to 2005. The workforce census does not separately identify the number of counselling practitioners.
	
		
			  Qualified psychotherapy staff in England as at 30 September  each specified year 
			  England  Headcount 
			 2001 745 
			 2002 867 
			 2003 948 
			 2004 1,101 
			 2005 1,087 
			  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care non-medical workforce census

Psychotherapy and Counselling

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the regulation of non-medical psychotherapy and counselling practitioners.

Rosie Winterton: Work is in hand to scope competences and undertake preparatory work to enable the statutory regulation of psychotherapists.
	Decisions about further progress will be made after consideration of responses received to the recent public consultation on healthcare professional regulation, which closed on 10 November 2006.

School Nurses

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many school nurses employed in the NHS are  (a) qualified and  (b) unqualified; what estimate she has made of the number of school nurses the NHS will need to employ in order to meet her Department's target of ensuring that each school will have access to a school nurse; and whether this target refers to qualified school nurses.

Rosie Winterton: An analysis of school nursing staff is provided in the table.
	The Choosing Health commitment requires the majority of school nurses to have a school nursing qualification by 2010.
	
		
			  Nursing staff in the school nursing area of work as at  30 September 2005 
			   Headcount 
			 All school nursing staff 3,353 
			  Of which:  
			 Qualified nurses 2,887 
			  Of which:  
			 Qualified school nursing nurse(1) 943 
			   
			 Unqualified nursing staff 466 
			 (1) Qualified school nurses hold the Nursing and Midwifery Council specialist practice qualification with an outcome in school nursingwhich is a recordable qualification on the NMC register.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care non-medical workforce census.

Television Advertisements

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by her Department on television advertisements in the last year for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: The total expenditure by the Department on television advertisements in 2005-06 was 14 million.

Waiting Times

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the national average  (a) outpatient,  (b) day case and  (c) inpatient waiting times were for (i) gynaecology, (ii) ophthalmology, (iii) trauma, (iv) orthopaedics and (v) urology units in the last period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the national average  (a) outpatient,  (b) day case and  (c) inpatient waiting times were for (i) cardiology units, (ii) ear, throat and nose clinics, (iii) general medicine units and (iv) general surgery units in the last period for which figures are available.

Andy Burnham: Average waiting times are not available by hospital units, but are available at specialty level. Median waiting times for each specialty are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Median waiting times for inpatient admission by specialty September 2006 
			   Median wait in weeks 
			  Specialty  Day case  Ordinary (inpatient) 
			 General Surgery 6.9 7.4 
			 Urology 5.9 6.2 
			 Trauma and Orthopaedics 8.9 10.2 
			 ENT 8.2 9.2 
			 Ophthalmology 5.8 6.8 
			 General Medicine 4.6 5.0 
			 Cardiology 6.0 6.4 
			 Gynaecology 6.2 8.1 
			 All specialties 6.8 8.6 
			  Source:  QF01 returns from PCTs 
		
	
	
		
			  Median Waiting times for 1st outpatient attendance by specialty June 2006 
			  Specialty  Median wait (weeks) 
			 General Surgery 4.3 
			 Urology 5.9 
			 Trauma  Orthopaedics 7.6 
			 ENT 7.7 
			 Ophthalmology 7.3 
			 General Medicine 5.3 
			 Cardiology 5.1 
			 Gynaecology 4.5 
			 All specialties 6.0 
			  Source:  QM08Rs returns from PCTs

Yellow Card Scheme

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths occurred in England as a result of adverse reactions to medicinal drugs in each of the past seven years; and what proportion of these deaths were reported by the Yellow Card scheme.

Andy Burnham: Reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Commission for Human Medicines (CHM) through the spontaneous reporting scheme, the Yellow Card scheme. Approximately 19,000 reports of suspected ADRs are sent to the MHRA/CHM through this scheme each year. It is not possible to estimate from the Yellow Card scheme the number of people who suffer adverse drug reactions with a fatal outcome since the scheme is associated with an unknown level of under-reporting.
	Table 1 shows the total number of suspected adverse drug reaction (ADR) reports received via the Yellow Card scheme in the United Kingdom in each of the past seven years, and the number associated with a fatal outcome.
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of reports received via the Yellow Card  scheme in the UK 
			   Total number of adverse drug reaction reports  Number of adverse drug reaction reports with a fatal outcome 
			 1999 20,347 782 
			 2000 35,981 846 
			 2001 23,680 893 
			 2002 19,748 881 
			 2003 21,637 986 
			 2004 22,986 1,168 
			 2005 25,261 1,424 
		
	
	It is important to note that a report of an adverse drug reaction does not necessarily mean that it was caused by the drug. Many factors have to be taken into account in assessing causal relationships including temporal association, the possible contribution of concomitant medication and the underlying disease being treated.
	A study funded by the MHRA and published in the  British Medical Journal on 2 July 2004, was conducted in two large hospitals in Merseyside in order to ascertain the current burden of ADRs in the NHS. The study found that of 18,820 patients aged over 16 years admitted to hospital over a six month period, there were 1,225 admissions judged to be related to an ADR, giving a prevalence of 6.5 per cent. Of these 1,225, the ADR was judged to lead directly to the admission in 80 per cent. of cases. Adverse drug reactions were considered responsible for the death of 0.15 per cent. of all the patients admitted.